Village of

POLICE DEPARTMENT

Today is Monday, July 7th. Our Fourth of July celebration has just passed us by and hopefully, as this newsletter is being written mid June, the weather cooperated as in years past and everyone had a great time. I know all of the Village offi cials love a parade and appreciate your participation and attendance. Believe it or not, the parade takes a great amount of planning even though we have done it for well over 20 years. I would like to thank the Westchester Chamber of Commerce and all of the hard working volunteers who make it appear effortless year after year.

One such employee from the Village side who for the past three years has led the efforts to entertain the entire Village has decided to leave the employ of the Village to assume a similar roll in a community nearer to her home. She is also planning to enroll in a Masters Degree program to broaden her horizons. For those of you have had the pleasure of interacting with this employee, her name is Molly “Magee” Keane. Molly, whose name has been synonymous with the newsletter, will be greatly missed. She was the go to girl for everything from coordinating special events, functioning as the Deputy Clerk, functioning as the

Village Open Meetings Act Offi cer, serving as the unoffi cial Village photographer and staff liaison to various commissions and committees. I have had the extreme pleasure to have been able to work with her side by side through both positives and negatives and have been amazed by her tenacity and her positive it’s all about the Village attitude. Molly could be found at every event from electronic recycling, to photographing the Girl Scout “Daisies” planting fl owers near the fountain, to business Ribbon Cuttings, to fi lling sandbags during our past fl ood events. As mentioned, “Magee” has made this newsletter evolve to what it is today. I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do without her being here. I have always regarded her as the daughter I did not have and valued her wisdom which is way beyond her years. At a recent special event meeting when she announced her leaving, all in the room had a collective sigh, as we know what a positive impact she has made on this Village and the positive impact she will make no matter what she does and where she is at. “Magee”, THANK YOU for all you have done for the Village of Westchester. Best wishes for you in the future…

From the Desk of The President

FIRE DEPARTMENT

CALENDAR

PARK DISTRICT

SCHOOL DISTRICT

COMMUNITYDEVELOPMENT

PUBLIC WORKS

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President Pulia with the Daisy Girl Scouts planting fl owers at the fountain on 6.5.14

WestchesterJULY 2014 Newsletter

2 JULY 2014

Police DePartmentJULY 2014 3

1) At 9:02 pm on May 22nd 2014, a Criminal Damage to Property was reported at 4 Westbrook Corporate Center. A vehicle owner reported unknown person(s) slashed the tire while parked in the parking lot.

2) At 10:55 am on May 23rd 2014, a Theft of Purse was reported in the parking lot of 3061 Wolf Road. It was reported that unknown person(s) removed a purse and an IPad from their vehicle while shopping.

3) At 10:47 am on May 26th 2014, a Burglary to Garage was reported on the 1000 block of Westchester Blvd. The resident reported that between May 25th and May 26th 2014, unknown person(s) removed a lawn mower from an unlocked garage.

4) At 2:41 pm on May 31st 2014, a Criminal Damage to Property was reported on the 1900 block of Mandel. The resident reported that unknown person(s) scratched the side of their vehicle with an unknown object.

5) At 10:52 am on June 3rd 2014, a Theft was reported on the 9800 block of Roosevelt Road. It was reported that between June 2nd and June 3rd 2014, unknown person(s) took a trailer that contained 4 lawn mowers and other landscaping equipment.

6) At 7:32 pm on June 5th 2014, a Theft of Bicycle was reported at the Family Video located at 10201 Roosevelt Road. It was reported that an unknown person took their unlocked bicycle while they were inside the Family Video store for 10 minutes.

7) At 1:15 pm on June 11th 2014, a Residential Burglary was reported on the 1500 block of Norfolk. The resident reported that an unknown person made forced entry into the home. Nothing was reported missing at the time of the report.

Police blotter

While parents and kids may think of summer as the season for fun, staff members at hospital emergency rooms refer to it as “trauma season.” More unintentional childhood deaths and injuries occur between the months of May and August than any other time of the year.

Backyard Basics* Supervise children, even if they are

“only in the backyard”* Make sure all fences and gates are

secure and repaired* Keep tools, including garden tools, out

of children’s reach* Bring children inside periodically for

plenty of water and rest* Make sure children use sunscreen of

SPF 15 or greater

Neighborhood Knowledge

* Never let children under age 10 cross streets alone. Remind them to use crosswalks, and to look left, right and left again for traffic when crossing the street.

* Warn children that garages, construction sites, abandoned buildings/cars, railroad tracks, dumpsters and unsupervised swimming areas are strictly off-limits

Safety on Wheels* Purchase an approved bicycle helmet

for each child, and insist that the helmet be worn correctly every time the child goes for a ride

* Teach your children safe bicycling practices.

* Make sure that the bicycle works properly-brakes, gears, tires and reflectors

* Make sure your child’s bicycling environment is safe; encourage using bicycle paths

* Have your children wear bright-colored clothing so drivers can spot them more easily

Safe Swimming* Never leave children alone in or near

water, even wading pools* Learn infant and child CPR* Be aware of undercurrents, waves, and

undertows when at the ocean or lake* Do not let children dive into water

unless an adult is present and he or she knows that the depth of the water is greater than 9 feet

Preventing Falls* Do not let children sit or play in

opened or screened windows. Screens can easily give way to a child’s weight

* Keep unopened windows locked at all times

DIAL 911 to request POLICE/FIRE assistance

Playing it Safe this Summer

Fire DePartment4 JULY 2014

JULY 2014 5

You will be missed….Sam

MANDATORY WATERING BANThe Village has received a low-

interest loan from the IEPA to paint the exterior of our 2 million gallon above-ground water storage tank located near Cermak and I-294. The water tank was constructed in 1982; the interior of the tank was painted in August 2011. A 150 foot monopole has been constructed outside of the structure to allow continued cellular communications for the number of cell phone providers that have leased space atop the tank. The painting is expected to begin on July 21.

Until the completion of this painting project a MANDATORY watering ban will be in effect from JULY 21 until OCTOBER 31 in order to protect the water supply while the tank is being painted. While the tank is being painted, the water level in the elevated tank needs to be lowered to a level that allows for the project to proceed. The ban will cover ALL outdoor water use, including lawn watering, pool filling, sidewalk washing and exterior house cleaning. The ban will NOT APPLY to newly placed sod or newly seeded lawns. Please make every attempt to seed or sod lawns prior to the ban. See ordinance 15.34.030.

GARBAGE RATE INCREASE EFFECTIVE JULY 1

Per the Village’s contract with Waste Management, rubbish (garbage and recycling) rates will increase 3.0% effective July 1st. This equates to a regular rate of $74.35 per three-month cycle and a senior discount rate of $67.02 per three-month cycle.

MUNICIPAL AGGREGATION RESULTSOn May 28, 2014, our electrical

consultant NIMEC went out to bid to determine the best provider available to supply electric power to the Village of Westchester and those consumers who have not opted out of the Village’s present power supplier First Energy. Five private companies bid on our power supply needs, and were compared to the known ComEd rate. As a result of the bid proposals, ComEd was the lowest with an actual 7.596 cents per kilowatt hour plus the Purchased Electricity Adjustment (PEA) totaling 7.93 per kilowatt hour for the summer months of June through September. ComEd will be able to adjust their rate from October to May however it is estimated that the rate will be 7.75 cents per kilowatt hour. First Energy, who we chose as the Village’s electric supplier in 2012 under our Municipal

Aggregation Program with a rate of 4.86 cents per kilowatt hour had a current bid 8.67 cents per kilowatt hour; close to doubling what they have been charging. Electrical use this summer will be costing considerably more that it has cost over the past two years. Based on the results of the electrical bids received, the Village has opted to suspend the Municipal Aggregation Program and return to ComEd as the Village’s electric supplier to provide the residents with the lowest available pricing for electric supply (see article on pg. x). We will revisit the program next year.

CODE ENFORCEMENTDuring the latter part of May and June,

the Village has been inundated with calls regarding high grass, weeds and the like. For the most part, our Code Enforcement officer has been on top of a majority of the complaints. Our Village ordinance for High Grass kicks in after the grass height gets to 8 inches. In most cases where there is someone residing in the home, a personal contact usually rectifies the situation and the complaint is corrected. The challenge comes with the homes that are vacant, foreclosed, and the owner’s whereabouts are unknown. Code Enforcement attempts to contact either the selling agent if the vacant property is up for sale or locating the mortgage company to get the property into compliance. Although former State Representative Karen Yarbrough proposed a state law making mortgage companies held accountable for such properties, the bill was not approved. There is NO state law requiring mortgage companies to maintain foreclosed properties. Being a Non-Home Rule community puts the Village at a disadvantage to pass ordinances more restrictive than those allowed by state law. Trying to track down a homeowner who has abandoned his property is a challenge. We will, however, document our attempts before we will authorize the grass to be cut by a Village contractor. Liens are placed on the property to recover our maintenance costs and make the Village whole before any transfer of the property will occur. Unfortunately, the property gets more unsightly during our investigation and 5 day response time frame after notification to bring the property into compliance.

During the month of May, 153 properties were found to be non-compliant requiring Code Enforcement intervention. All of which took time to complete, some of which are still being handled.

VILLAGE PAVING PROJECTS - IN HOUSE

This season, the Village in-house staff will be resurfacing several sections of streets throughout the Village in two

phases. In years past, several thousand tons of asphalt has been ground down and resurfaced. Many were patch sections here and there. This season, in addition to the patches, staff has decided to grind and repave both curb sides of the street, leaving the middle section that is usually in better condition than the curb lane on some of the streets. The in-house patching begins with renting a grinder to grind the existing asphalt. After each phase is ground down, the crews will begin their in-house paving; this requires 4 trucks to carry the hot asphalt in addition to staff running the paving box and spreading the asphalt. The process requires at least 8 employees, nearly half of our Public Works staff. As the end result has greatly improved the look of our roads, please be patient and drive cautiously in the construction areas. Unfortunately, the middle section will not look as black as the sides. Steve Crowley, a PW employee, told me the other day that 220 tons of asphalt was put down in one day surpassing their record 180 ton day last year. Steve and the crew are doing a wonderful job and in most cases more than any Village or town around our area is doing, especially in house.

The following streets have defined sections that have been scheduled for 2014: Prescott Square, Plymouth, Kensington Fleet to Wakefield, Fairfield Kensington to Sunnyside, Newberry Sunnyside to Fairfield, Hawthorne 1600 block, Crestwood Blvd to Mannheim, 1500 block Suffolk, 1500 Block Portsmouth, 1400 Block Portsmouth, 700 Block Suffolk, 800 block Suffolk, Sunnyside Windsor to Wakefield both sides. As noted these are not complete reconstructions they are patches done in-house to increase the life span of the roadway.

IHOP CLOSEDLate last month, Village staff had been

notified that the IHOP located just north of Roosevelt on Mannheim has closed. The roof was re-painted red not as a new business was taking over, but to decommission the traditional IHOP look that employs a blue roof. At the present time there is no information available on what will occupy the site. We are hopeful that the space will be taken over by a new restaurant in the near future.

SHERWIN WILLIAMS COMING TO WESTCHESTER

The former site of the PNC Bank drive-up located on Cermak, just east of Sunnyside, will be turned into a new Sherwin Williams paint store. Demolition has occurred and a new building will be constructed on the site. The area presently is zoned B2 Commercial. Under our zoning code, this new store is consistent with the proper use. I know some of you are

wondering why a paint store? Why not a restaurant or some other use? The fact of the matter is that Westchester does not own the property and does not have the ability to control what is built on the site. The property was for sale and purchased by a developer who had an interested party who wanted to put up a paint store. The zoning in place allowed the use and the transaction was done. Permits were secured and the site developed per our code. Westchester only controls the property which it owns; Village Hall, Police Department, Fire Department and post office facility (which it leases to the US Postal Service) and the municipal parking lot near Rocky’s Pizza. Other than that, the Village does not own any other real estate. The Village, being a Non- Home Rule community relies heavily on property taxes that you and I are assessed twice a year to run the government and provide the services of police, fire, public works, and administrative personnel . Sales Tax comes in second so keep your money home by shopping in town.

MARIANO’S UPDATEFor anyone who has driven by the

31st and Wolf Road site recently, it is not hard to imagine how huge the new Mariano’s store will be. The 30 thousand square foot addition from the east end of the old Dominick’s to the west wall of the dry cleaners increases the square footage by approximately forty percent. For all intensive purposes, we are told that the construction is on schedule and we are patiently waiting for the store opening by early November.

SAVE THE DATE – BBQ and BLUES FESTIVAL

You are cordially invited to attend our two day Village BBQ and Blues festival to be held on Friday, July 18th and Saturday, July 19th at the Westchester Community Park, 10201 Bond Street. On Friday, July 18th from 5pm until 10:30pm, two musical groups will perform including the Blooze Brothers, a Blues Brothers Tribute Show Band. Bring the kids out to see the ben’s Bubble Show at 7pm. The fun will continue on Saturday, July 19th from Noon until 10:30pm. The special events committee is finalizing food vendors and other activities similar to the successful one day “Backyard Barbeque” event we hosted last year. Come out and enjoy the weekend with the 4 F’s: Food, Fun, Friends, and Family…

FAREWELL TO A FRIENDIt is with deep sorrow that I write

of the passing of Barbara Lucchese on Friday, June 13. Mrs. Lucchese was honored as the Village of Westchester Person of the Year in January 2013 for her commitment, dedication and

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generosity of spirit in making the Village of Westchester a better community. She was a generous donor to the Westchester Memorial Fountain and the path leading to the fountain was ceremonially named Lucchese Way. She was a lifelong resident of Westchester and shared her historic knowledge of the town. She had an indomitable spirit, even in the face of declining health, which uplifted everyone around her. I am a better person having known her. Rest in peace, my friend.

FOUNTAIN FLOWERSFor the past several years, Bill Ernst

and Barb Spahn- Brandt have been the custodians of the flowers that surround the Village Memorial Fountain located at Cermak and Mannheim Roads. Several weeks ago, Bill and Barb planted all of the flowers in memory of Barb’s father Jerry Spahn. Jerry Spahn was an avid supporter of the happenings in Westchester which is evident by the plaque installed in his honor at the Veterans Memorial at Mayfair Park. The flowers were donated through the generosity of Ashland Addison Florist located on Roosevelt Rd. Thank you all for beautifying the site with your thoughtful donation and labor. While stopping by the fountain, please think of Jerry, a true Westchester treasure and friend to all he met.

SCOUTING NEWSOn Saturday morning May 24th, Troop

1 Boy Scouts remembered the men and women who died serving our country’s armed forces by placing several hundred American Flags on veteran’s graves for the Memorial Day weekend. Assistant Senior Patrol Leader Trevor Torrens said “it is one of the busiest weekends of the year for Troop 1, and one of the most meaningful, as we honor those who served and died so that we can enjoy our freedom.” The flags were placed on veteran’s graves in the Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois. The scouts participated in ceremonies honoring our flag, discussed what it means to be a veteran, joined in a prayer for those who have died serving our country, and participated in a Field Mass and graveside ceremony.

DAISIES PLANT FLOWERS On Thursday, June 5th, the Westchester

Girl Scout Daisy Troop 41025 helped beautify the Fountain area with the planting of several varieties of flowers just beneath the Governor’s Hometown Award Sign.

There were 19 kindergarten and 1st grade children present with their Troop Leader Jacqlynn Guidry and Co-Leader Cheri Walton-Younger. A special shout

out to Birthday Girl Isabella Guzzo on her 6th Birthday. The flowers look just beautiful and are a welcome addition to the fountain area. Members of the Daisy Troop include Gabriella Cerda, Isabella Jelic, Samantha Coniglio, Arianna Espinosa, Raleigh Jesswein, Aalivah Younger, Abigail Labellarte, Ava Laurie, Braelyn Ottolini, Casey Fundator, Ella Veenendaal, Gabriella Arnold, Isabel Cervantes, Isabella Guzzo, Kennedy Cross, Lillian Doerge, Madisyn Allen, Mia Gage, and Zoe Ransey. Thanks, girls!

FARMERS INSURANCE DROPS LAWSUIT

On April 28, 2014, the Village of Westchester and 200 additional communities were named as defendants in a lawsuit filed in Cook County as result of the April 2013 flood experienced across our region. The class action suit as originally filed alleged that the communities failed to take the necessary steps to prevent and limit damage from the flood of April 2013. As you can imagine, I have taken exception to that irresponsible statement since the filing date. The Village has been working diligently since the July 2010 Flood event in sewer maintenance and infrastructure. Both our Addison Creek and Salt Creek projects have been pushed and pushed hard by this administration. It was a fete just getting Addison Creek to be selected as a Watershed project by MWRD when the Addison Creek Restoration Commission, established in the late 1980’s, was on its last legs with no positive resolution.

Another example of this

administration’s commitment to mitigate flooding events was applying for an intergovernmental agreement with MWRD to assist with the Mayfair Reservoir Expansion. We obtained funding of $2.1 Million dollars from MWRD for the Expansion Project. We have not been sitting on our hands. Unfortunately, everything, and I mean everything, takes time, too much in my estimation but time is something that is difficult to control. I have not met the person who is able to either stop it or make it go faster.

As of June 3, 2014, Farmers has dropped its suit against the municipalities in Cook and adjacent counties, MWRD and the City of Chicago without the fanfare and sensational news they made headlines with. The real losers, had Farmers been successful in its law suit, would have been the Farmers Policy Holders who have not only paid their insurance premiums and were flood victims, but who also would have had to pay their tax money to Farmers to fund a settlement derived in essence from suing their own policy holders.

HEAT INDEX ALERTSWe have already had a few days where

the outside temperature has reached over 80 degrees. The Village Hall Community Room will again be available this summer as a Cooling Center should the necessity arise. Remember it is all of our responsibilities to check on our elderly friends and neighbors to see if they are OK. Please dial 9-1-1 for any police or fire ambulance assistance.

ENERGY EFFICIENCYEvery penny counts when trying to

save money. Common sense tips can save you an average of 4to 5% of your electric bill each year. Raising your thermostat just 2 degrees and turning on ceiling fans when you are in the room can lower the cost of cooling your home by up to 14% over a season. Make sure to turn the fan off when you are not in the room. Close all of the curtains and blinds before you leave the house. This will keep the sun from beating in and generating excess heat. Less heat means the AC will be kicking in less. Close all doors and windows when you leave the room. This reduces the space that has to be cooled and is less work for the AC. Turn off the AC when you leave the house even when on a short trip. Reduce using the oven to cook; do like my wife Maureen does and show off your expertise in microwave cooking or your extra special outdoor grilling ability instead of heating up the house.

COMED OFFERS ENERGY SAVING IPS

Turn off the lights in unattended rooms

Set home thermostat at 78 degrees in the summer or the warmest comfortable temperature.

When leaving for more than 4 hours or before going to be at night raise the thermostat 5-10 degrees in the summer.

Close curtains in east, south and west facing windows during the day to keep out solar heat in the summer.

Cool only the rooms in use. Close vents and doors in unused rooms.

Clean refrigerator coils twice a year.Check and clean air conditioning

filters monthly and replace as needed.Unplug electric chargers, televisions

and audio/visual equipment when not in use.

Run energy intensive appliances, such as dishwashers and clothes washers at night so that the heat produced by the devices will not need to be offset by your air conditioner during the day.

Wait until you have a full load to run the dish or clothes washer. Wash clothes in Cold water when possible.

Keep lamps and televisions away from the thermostat. The heat they generate will cause the air conditioning system to work harder.

Unplug old, energy inefficient refrigerators if they are not being used. Old refrigerators can use three times

the electricity of modern, efficient ones.

ADDITIONAL LOW-COST TIPS FOR SAVING ENERGY AND $$ MONEY

Install weather stripping on all doors and windows.

Replace incandescent light bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which use 66% less energy and last up to 10 times longer. Replacing a typical standard bulb with an equivalent CFL could save, on average $30 over the life of the CFL Bulb.

Install electric timers on lighting, small appliances and air conditioners.

Add dimmer switches or motion sensors on incandescent lightings.

Install enough attic insulation to follow the Energy Star guidelines of providing an insulating value of R-38 for gas and oil heated homes, and R-49 for electrically heated homes.

Install low-flow showerheads and sink aerators to reduce hot water use.

When buying new appliances, lights, electronics and other products, look for the Energy Star label.

For More information www.ComEd.com

TRITON COLLEGE NEWSBelieve it or not, Triton College is

celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year. On Thursday, August 28, 2014 from Noon to 1:30pm and 6pm to 7:30pm, Triton will kick off its yearlong 50th Anniversary celebration with a cake-cutting ceremony. The community is invited to join in as Triton celebrates the many accomplishments throughout its history. Triton memorabilia will be on display to capture the progression of Triton as an instrumental educational organization in our community. Featured will be the dedication of a sundial to mark Triton’s 50 years and take us into the future. Admission is Free.

REPRESENTATIVE WELCH HOSTS SHREDDING EVENT

State Representative Emanuel “Chris” Welch is hosting his 2nd Annual Community Shred Day. The event will be held on Saturday, July 12th, at the Memorial Park District Building located at 3101 Washington Boulevard in Bellwood . The event will run from 10am until 1pm . The free event will allow you to destroy your personal papers to prevent unscrupulous persons from obtaining private information from your garbage that may be used in Identity Theft.

DISPOSABLE WIPES …NOT SO DIS-POSABLE

Disposable wipe products are becoming increasingly popular due to their convenience and sanitary

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use. Increased wipe usage is causing expensive problems for our sanitary sewer systems. Wipes labeled “flushable” do not break down sufficiently to flow through the sanitary pipes and pumps and can even clog the screens at waste water facilities. The wipes clog your sanitary pipes increasing the need to rod out the sanitary sewer lines leaving your home and entering into the Village sanitary sewer system.

Most wipes on the market should not be flushed. Manufactures currently label products as “flushable” if they can pass through a home’s plumbing system. The Association of Non-Woven Fabrics Industry (INDA) passed new guidelines for flushability in June 2013. These guidelines require manufactures to evaluate their products with a series of 7 tests. Products not passing these tests will be repackaged with a “DO NOT FLUSH” logo by January 2015. We are suggesting that our residents only flush toilet paper and dispose of disposable wipes in a waste container.

LAKE MICHIGAN WATER ALLOCATION PROPOSED RULE CHANGES

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has drafted new rules for the Allocation of Water from Lake Michigan. The Village of Westchester receives its potable drinking water from Lake Michigan through the Broadview Westchester Joint Water Agency ( BWJWA) through a series of pipes connected to the City of Chicago. The proposed changes regarding the water withdrawal reporting and accounting are aimed at recognizing and encouraging efficient use and conservation of our Lake Michigan Resource. The most debated proposed change has been the deletion of the Maximum Unavoidable Leakage (MUL) component in a utility’s water use reporting standard. The MUL is currently an allowable leakage exemption based on miles, type and age of the pipes.

As stated above, Westchester receives water from the BWJWA and has been receiving water from the Agency since 1927. Water meters are installed at the water agency in Broadview and at our Crestwood pump station in Westchester. Staff monitors daily the amount of water pumped and the amount of water received. The amount of water Crestwood pumps is metered and the amounts our individual homes and businesses use is measured. Theoretically, the numbers should be the same. However, malfunctioning meters, leaks throughout our 65 miles of water pipes, breaks, hydrant flushing,

and usage by our fire department during emergencies becomes unaccounted for. The present MUL that the IDNR has assessed as acceptable is 8% for the amount of pipes utilized and the age of our system. Our last reported MUL was 12%. Based on our yearly purchase of approximately 570 million gallons of water from BWJWA, a 12% water loss represents a substantial amount of money.

As a result of the percentage of water loss, our Village Manager recommended and the board concurred that our water system should be evaluated as soon as possible. The Village contracted with a leak detection contractor, M.E. Simpson, to identify underground leaks in Village water mains. Six major leaks were located and identified. Two major leaks have been repaired in the past few weeks. A leak right in front of the Village Hall was detected. The water did not reach the surface street (Roosevelt Road) and was dumping right into the Roosevelt Road storm sewer catch basin. It is unknown how long this had been occurring. A prior break was repaired in the same area two years ago. We are told that the section of piping running along Roosevelt Road is in poor condition and has many clamp repairs on it. We are looking to the IEPA for a possible low interest loan to replace this bad section of water pipe. The second major leak was a similar one in the area of Manchester and Kitchener. Again, it was a large volume of water dumping into the storm water sewer which was undetected from above. Our Public Works repair crews have repaired all of the identified leaks at this time.

A good portion of the Village drinking water piping is located on the Village parkways. The parkways, including the driveway aprons and any trees on the parkway, are under Village control. Throughout the past two months, public Works crews have been repairing driveway aprons and restoring parkways. Black dirt and seed have been used for this purpose. The cost of replacing all of the parkways in sod exceeds our budgeted allowance.

WESTCHESTER BIBLE CHURCH WELCOMES NEW PASTOR

On Sunday, June 15, 2014, Pastor Chad DeJong was installed as the new Pastor of the Westchester Bible Church located at the corner of Sunnyside Avenue and Cermak Road. On behalf of the entire Village, we welcome Pastor Chad and his wife Lisa to our beautiful community.

DIVINE PROVIDENCE WELCOMES NEW PRIEST

Father Timothy Fiala has been named as the successor to Father Tomas Unz who retired in June 2014. Father Fiala

is no stranger to Westchester as he worked as an Associate Priest with Father John Rosemeyer many years ago. Father Tim comes to Westchester from our neighboring parish to the north, Saint Domitilla’s in Hillside. Welcome, Father Tim.

WALGREEN’S RECOGNIZES WESTCH-ESTER EMPLOYEE

I have received a letter from Donovan Pepper, the National Director of Local Government Affairs of Walgreen Company, who wanted to share some exciting news about one of his employees and a Westchester resident. As of September 3, 2014, Ms. Jacqueline Higgins will be celebrating 40 years of working with Walgreens. Jacqueline is presently working as a Senior Beauty Advisor at the Walgreen store at Roosevelt and Mannheim Roads. Walgreens was founded in 1901 and has been serving communities throughout our country for the past 113 years. Walgreen’s has 8,500 locations employing 240 thousand people, one of which is Jacqueline Higgins. Please join me in congratulating her for her accomplishment and dedication to all the people she has advised over her years of employment.

WESTCHESTER RECYCLING EVENTOn Saturday, June 14th, the

Environmental Sustainability Commission hosted another successful event. Many thanks to the commission and all of the volunteers . Our next Electronic Recycling Event and food pantry drop off will be held on Saturday, July 12th from 9am to Noon behind the Westchester Fire Department Station One on Roosevelt Road.

Please do not drop off electronics other than at the prescribed date and times. Doing so will subject the violator to a citation for illegal dumping.

Tips to Stay Green This SummerRecycle wherever you are. Going on

a car trip? Keep a bag for recycling in the car with you.

Park in the shade to reduce gasoline evaporation.

Always use reusable water bottles .Bring a bag with you on walks, hikes

and bike rides. Pick up litter along the way to keep it from being washed in our waterways.

Buy a lead-free hose to keep lead out of your veggie garden, bird bath and away from your kids.

Be sure to leave the sports field cleaned up when you’re game is over. Collect plastic sports. drink and water bottles to recycle and be sure all trash makes it to the garbage bin.

Buy a rain gauge so you know how much rain you garden and lawn got so you can conserve water whenever possible.

Check the air in your tires to get the best gas mileage, save money and

reduce pollution.Before you leave for vacation, unplug

everything, it will save you money.

Fluorescent BulbsFluorescent light bulbs are another

material that cannot be put into the regular trash or recycling bin. Fluorescent bulbs contain a small amount of mercury and should be properly disposed of through a hazardous waste collection or a special fluorescent bulb collection. Some big box hardware stores collect these bulbs for proper disposal. The bulbs can also be taken to the Naperville Household Hazardous Waste Collection.

Fluorescent bulbs may include:All T-12 bulbs (no longer being made)Fish tank lightsGrow lightsUnder the counter lights

TICKET QUOTAS NOW PROHIBITEDOn June 15th, Governor Quinn

signed new legislation into law which prohibits police departments in Illinois from assigning ticket minimums within a prescribed time period to their police officers. Public Act 98-0650 affects a number of police agencies, including municipal departments. The law amends the Illinois Municipal Code to prohibit evaluating a police officer by comparing the number of citations issued against the number by any other officer with similar duties. The Governor stated “Law Enforcement officers should have discretion on when and where to issue traffic citations and not be forced to ticket motorists to satisfy a quota system. This new law will improve safety and working conditions for police officers and prevent motorists from facing unnecessary anxiety when they encounter a police vehicle.”

As far as the Westchester Police Department, we never had a quota system in place. Our Police officers have total discretion on what citations they write. As a police officer for over 40 years myself, It has been a challenge to determine how to administer the officer discretion fairly and equitably. If I stop someone for speeding at 15 MPH over the limit and write a ticket, is it fair to that motorist that I use my “discretion” to let the next motorist go for doing the same or more over the limit? I choose to write them both.

PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE SQUIRRELS (AND OTHER WILDLIFE)

The Village Municipal Code, Chapter 10.12 entitled “Feeding of Wild Animals” prohibits the keeping or feeding of certain animals. The Code states “No person shall feed or otherwise deposit upon his property any household food, garbage or other edible products, in

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the open, in such manner as to attract any stray dog or cat not owned by said person or any other domestic animal, rodent, bird or other wild animal at or upon the property of said person within the village. Simple, casual feeding of birds with bird seed, corn, bread, nuts or similar types of natural products is permitted if not excessive and does not cause a public nuisance.” The Code states that it is permissible for a bird feeder, bird house and/or bird bath to be placed on the property of the resident; however, said item must be at least three feet from the ground. Violators may incur up to a $500 fine.

We know they’re cute and they might seem hungry, but feeding most wild animals (with a few exceptions) just isn’t a good idea. Here’s Four Reasons Why:

1. “People” food isn’t good for animals. Human foods aren’t nutritious enough for animals and may cause serious health problems. A deformity called “angel wing” is commonly found in ducks, geese, swans and other waterfowl who are fed white bread, popcorn, crackers, or other people food. (This doesn’t mean you can’t feed ducks and geese; you just have to identify areas where feeding waterfowl is supported, and offer the birds the right foods. Look for waterfowl feed or duck pellets at feed stores. Other healthy foods include seedless grapes cut in half, shredded kale, Swiss chard or romaine lettuce, and grains, including wheat, barley and oats. Make sure anything you feed is bite-sized to avoid choking hazards.)

2. It makes wild animals lose their natural fear of people. Feeding can make large, potentially dangerous animals become too comfortable in residential or recreational areas. Once animals learn they can panhandle for food, they can become a nuisance—or even worse, a safety risk.

3. Feeding wildlife from or near vehicles is dangerous to animals, people, and property. Animals can be hit by moving vehicles or might try to enter vehicles in search of food. In Yosemite National Park in 1998, more than 1,100 vehicles were broken into by black bears—causing more than $630,000 in damages.

4. Wild animals who depend on people for food can cause injuries or spread disease. When wild animals gather for food handouts, it can cause crowding and competition. These unnatural conditions increase the chances of fighting and injury among animals. It can also increase the spread of diseases, some of which may be transmitted to

pets and humans.

So what can you do for wildlife?

Stop the unintentional food supply:Rinse all recyclable glass and plastic

containers to remove any food remnants and odors. Some animals, like skunks, can get their heads stuck in containers and wind up starving to death. Cut and/or crush plastic containers, and cut each ring of plastic six-pack carriers. Feed your pets inside. Make sure plastic food wrap is rinsed and secured in a tied bag or securely covered garbage can. When visiting parks and similar settings, clean up after yourself and follow the rules regarding wildlife.

Encourage others to do the same.

Learn when to step in. If you see an animal who you think may be injured or orphaned, make sure the

animal truly needs your help before feeding the animal anything or attempting a “rescue.”

Provide some natural food sources. Plant some native bushes, trees, or flowers and put up a birdbath or other water feature for your local wildlife. You’ll be on your way to creating a humane backyard.

Source: http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/feed_wildlife.html

FOOD HANDLER CERTIFICATION EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2014

The Illinois Food Handling Regulation Act (410 ILCS 625), as amended by SB1495 and passed into law on August 27, 20133 establishes Food Handler training requirements in Illinois. Beginning July 1, 2014, if you work in a restaurant in Illinois and prepare, store or serve food, handle food equipment, food utensils, or food-contact surfaces you MUST have a ANSI accredited Food Handler Certificate within 30 days of hire. This includes most restaurant jobs, including servers, chefs, head chefs, head cooks, cooks, bussers, bartenders, dishwashers, hosts and hostesses who handle food and supervisors, such as the general manager or managers. Managers who already have a Food Service Sanitation Manager Certificate do not need a Food Handler Certificate.

The law does not require employers to pay for an employee’s time and expense to take the training and test. The ServSafe Food Handler Certificate belongs to the employee, is transferrable between employers, is valid for 3 years and is accepted everywhere in Illinois. Online training courses in English or Spanish are available, many under $20.00. Certificates can be printed upon completion of the 90 minute course.

SIMPLE TIPS TO START SAVING MONEY

How to get started.Put a little away every week. Don’t

underestimate the power of saving $25 to $50 per week. If you pay yourself $25 per week, in 2 years you will have saved $2,600, not counting interest.

Track your spending. Log your spending habits for one week. Write down everything you spend, even down to the candy bars and sodas. An accurate picture of where your money is going can convince you to cut back.

Avoid getting too many credit cards. More than 3 is probably too many. Limit credit card use to emergencies and use a debit card as much as possible.

Keep an eye on your credit report. If you spot a problem, take care of it right away. Remember you can get a free report once a year from one of the credit reporting bureaus: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.

Credit Bureaus’ Phone Numbers & Addresses

The 3 major credit bureaus in the United States are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. There are several likely reasons why you might need to contact one of these credit reporting agencies.

You may want to request your free annual credit report, dispute an item on one of your credit reports, check the status of an existing report, order an updated credit report, place a fraud alert on your credit profile, place a security freeze on your file, sign-up for credit monitoring, or inquire about other personal services and business solutions.

It is important to know which of these United States companies to get in touch with if you are having credit issue or concerns, or simply want to be proactive by monitoring your credit profile.

That’s why we’ve put together this list together, included important phone numbers, mailing addresses and the website address of each of the three major consumer reporting agencies in the USA.

Contact Information

EQUIFAXwww.Equifax.comEquifax Credit Information Services,

IncP.O. Box 740256, Atlanta, Georgia

30374Equifax Phone Numbers:1-800-685-1111: Credit Report

Inquiries1-888-766-0008: Place Fraud Alert on

Your Credit Report1-866-493-9788: Credit Reports, Scores

and Identity Theft Monitoring1-888-202-4025: Business SolutionsEXPERIANwww.Experian.comP.O. Box 9554, Allen, Texas 75013Experian Phone Numbers:1-888-397-3742: Credit Report /

Dispute Information / Fraud & Identity Theft

1-877-284-7942: Triple Advantage Credit Monitoring Membership

1-888-243-6951: Business Credit Services

TRANSUNIONwww.TransUnion.comP.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834TransUnion Phone Numbers:1-800-493-2392: Credit Monitoring

Service Inquires1-800-888-4213: Purchase a Credit

Report or Get Free Annual Report1-800-916-8800: Dispute Items on

Credit Report and Status Checks1-800-680-7289: Fraud Alerts and

Identity Theft Information1-866-922-2100: Business Services

Assistance

WOMENS HEART ATTACK SYMPTOMS

I found this article at http:www.caring.com and thought I would share it with you

7 Heart Attack Signs Women -- and Doctors -- Often Miss

By Melanie Haiken, Caring.com senior editor

Conventional wisdom has it that heart attacks come out of the blue. We’re also trained to expect a heart attack to happen a certain way: The victim clutches his chest, writhes in pain, and collapses. But for women, it often doesn’t happen that way. Study after study shows heart attacks and heart disease are under-diagnosed in women, with the explanation being that they didn’t have symptoms.

But research shows that’s not always the case. Women who’ve had heart attacks realize, looking back, that they experienced significant symptoms -- they just didn’t recognize them as such.

In a study funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, 95 percent of women (that’s almost all!) who’d had heart attacks reported experiencing symptoms that were decidedly new or different from their previous experience a month or more before their attacks.

Even when a heart attack is occurring, women are often slow to realize what’s happening and call a doctor. The reason? Women’s heart attack symptoms are different than men’s. This failure to

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JULY 2014 11

recognize heart attack signs in women has led to a grim statistic: Women are more likely to die from sudden cardiac death than men are, and two thirds of women who have a heart attack don’t recover completely.

To prevent a heart attack from sneaking up on you, watch for these 7 little-known signs of heart attack:

Fatigue. More than 70 percent of women in the NIH study reported extreme fatigue in the month or months prior to their heart attacks. This was not just your run-of-the-mill tiredness -- the kind you can power through -- this was an overwhelming fatigue that sidelined them from their usual schedules for a few days at a time.

Sleeplessness or insomnia. Despite their fatigue, women who’ve had heart attacks remember experiencing unexplained inability to fall asleep or stay asleep during the month before their heart attacks.

Anxiety and stress. Stress has long been known to up the risk of heart attack. But what women report is the emotional experience; before their heart attacks they felt anxious, stressed, and keyed up, noticeably more than usual. Moments before or during a heart attack, many women report a feeling they describe as “impending doom;” they’re aware that something’s drastically wrong and they can’t cope, but they’re not sure what’s going on.

Indigestion or nausea. Stomach pain, intestinal cramps, nausea, and digestive disruptions are another sign reported by women heart attack patients. Become familiar with your own digestive habits, and pay attention when anything seems out of whack. Note especially if your system seems upset and you haven’t eaten anything out of the ordinary.

Shortness of breath. Of the women in the NIH study, more than 40 percent remembered experiencing this symptom. One of the comments the women made is that they noticed they couldn’t catch their breath while walking up the stairs or doing other daily tasks.

Flu-like symptoms. Clammy, sweaty skin, along with feeling lightheaded and weak, can lead women to wonder if they have the flu when, in fact, they’re having a heart attack.

Jaw, ear, neck, back, or shoulder pain. While pain and numbness in the chest, shoulder, and arm is a common sign of heart attack (at least, among men), women often don’t experience the pain this way. Instead, many women say they felt pain and a sensation of tightness running along their jaw and down the neck, and sometimes up to the ear, as well. The pain may extend down to the

shoulder and arm--particularly on the left side--or it may feel like a backache or pulled muscle in the neck and back.

How to protect yourself or the women you care about

In addition to the symptoms they do have, women differ from men in another significant way -- they may not experience many of the symptoms we traditionally associate with heart attacks. This, experts say, is a major reason why women’s heart attacks go unrecognized and untreated. Almost half of all women in the NIH study felt no chest pain, even during the heart attack itself. Numbness is another symptom women may not experience, experts say.

If your body is doing unusual things and you just don’t feel “right,” don’t wait. Go see your doctor and ask for a thorough work-up. And if you have any risk factors for cardiac disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, or family history of heart disease, mention these to the doctor. Time is of the essence, so don’t count on medical staff to know your background or read your chart -- tell them your risk factors right away, so your condition can be evaluated fully and completely.

CLOTHES DRYER SAFETYDoing laundry is a normal part of your

routine, but it is also very important to take care of your clothes dryer. With a simple safety tips, you can help prevent a clothes dryer fire, which is one of the most common calls to a fire department.

Don’t use the dryer without a lint filter.

Clean the filter before and after each use of the machine. Remove any lint collected around the drum.

Make sure the air exhaust pipe is not restricted so the outdoor flap will open when the dryer is operating.

Keep dryers in good working order. Don’t overload and turn it off if you leave home or when you go to bed.

FROM THE BOARD At the May 27, 2014 Village Board

Meeting, the following items were approved under the Consent Agenda;

Approval of the Record of Bills ending 05-22-2014 in the amount not to exceed $671,538.35

Approval of Minutes of the April 8, 2014 Executive Session, Minutes of the April 22, 2014 Executive Session, Minutes of the May 13, 2014 Village Board Meeting and Minutes of the May 13, 2014 Committee of the Whole Meeting

An Ordinance Waiving Competitive Bids and Awarding a Contract for Fireworks to Flashing Thunder Fireworks

An Ordinance Amending Chapter 24, Entitled “Stop Intersections” of Title 11, Entitled “Vehicles and Traffic” of

the Municipal Code of the Village of Westchester

An Ordinance Amending Title 11, Entitled “Vehicles and Traffic,” of the Westchester Municipal Code to Provide for Honorary Street Names

An Ordinance Providing for the Declaration of the Prevailing Rate of Hourly Wages for the Year 2014 to be Paid to Laborers, Mechanics and Other Workers Performing Construction of Public Works Within the Village of Westchester, Cook County, Illinois

An Ordinance Authorizing the Village of Westchester to Borrow Funds from the Public Water Supply Loan Program through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

An Ordinance Authorizing Renewal of Aggregation Program for Electrical Load

An Ordinance Amending an Ordinance Authorizing the Sale of Surplus Property of the Village of Westchester and Waiving Competitive Bidding and Authorizing the Purchase of a 2014 Ford Utility Police Interceptor from Currie Motors Fleet

A Resolution Accepting a Proposal and Authorizing the Execution of a Contract with Allen Integrated Systems, Inc., for the Design and Construction of the Crestwood Reservoir Control System Upgrade

A Resolution Authorizing the Execution of an Intergovernmental Agreement by and Between the County of Cook and the Village of Westchester Regarding the Sheriff’s Work Alternative Program (SWAP)

A Resolution Authorizing the Award of a Contract to Jetco, LTD. for the Enterprise Drive 2MG High Tank Exterior Painting Project and all Associated Site and Structural Work

An executive session was held under 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1) for the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body.

At the May 27, 2014, Committee of the Whole Meeting, the following items were discussed under new business;

Recommendation from Planning Commission – Ms. Headley

Requirements for Concrete and Asphalt Driveways and Approaches – Ms. Headley

Bid results – Portsmouth Ave. Sanitary Sewer Replacement Program – Ms. Matthys

Change Order 2013 SIP – Concrete – Phase 1 – Ms. Matthys

IDOT Traffic Signal Upgrade – Ms. Matthys

Disposal of Surplus Property – Mr. Hribal

The following item was discussed under Old Business;

End Loader Repair – Ms. Matthys

At the June 10, 2014 Village Board Meeting, the following items were approved under the Consent Agenda;

Approval of the Record of Bills ending 06-05-2014 in the amount not to exceed $749,370.42

Approval of Minutes of the May 27, 2014 Executive Session, Minutes of the May 27, 2014 Village Board Meeting , Minutes of the May 27, 2014 Committee of the Whole Meeting

Approval of Departmental Monthly Reports, including the Community Development Department Report, the Fire Department Report, the Police Department Report, the Public Works Department Report

Ordinance Amending Title 18, Entitled “Zoning” of the Westchester Code

Ordinance Authorizing the Disposal of Surplus Property Owned by the Village of Westchester

Resolution Accepting a Bid and Approving a Contract Agreement with Unique Plumbing Company, Inc. for services Related to the Portsmouth Ave. Sanitary Sewer Replacement Program

Resolution Approving Change Order No. 1 for the Concrete component of the 2014 Street Improvement Program

An Ordinance waiving competitive bidding and authorizing the Village of Westchester to enter into an agreement with Chicago Truck and Bus Repair, Inc. for the repair of a John Deere Loader was approved under the active agenda.

An executive session was held under 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1) for the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body and under 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(2) for collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees or their representatives, or deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees.

At the June 10, 2014 Committee of the Whole Meeting, the following items were discussed under new business;

Proposed Change Order to Contract for Crestwood Controls Upgrade – Mr. Lewis

Proposed Change Order 2 for 2014 Street Improvement Project – Paving (Discussion Only) – Mr. Lewis

The following three items were discussed under Old Business;

Resolution Authorizing Agreement with Regency Center for Water Main Construction and Maintenance Agreement – Ms. Headley

Requirements for Concrete and Asphalt Driveways and Approaches – Ms. Headley

Fire Alarm System RFP Results – Mr. Lewis

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St. JoSePh

16 JULY 2014

calenDarJULY 2014 17

Library continues on summer hours: Westchester Public Library 10700 Canterbury Street Monday-Thurs-day 9:30 AM – 8:00 PM, Friday 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM, Saturday 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM. Closed Sundays. Sum-mer hours in effect until Labor Day weekend in September. Registra-tion continues for Summer Reading Programs for kids at Library. Reg-istration continues for Teen Summer Reading Programs at Library. Page Turners Reading Club continues for adults at Library. Contact Teen, Adult or Youth Dept. at (708) 562-3573.

Vacation Bible School

Grace Lutheran Church is having Va-cation Bible School July 21st, 22nd, 23rd & 24th 2014. The hours will be from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM. The age range that we are able to accom-modate is children that have finished kindergarten thru 5th gde. Children that have completed older grades are also welcome to attend. If you have children that do not fall into these ages, please contact the church and a decision will be made on a case to case basis.

Vacation Bible School will be run by counselors from Camp Lutherdale in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. They ran VBS last year and all the children that at-tended loved the songs, Bible stories, crafts, ect., that they provided.

The cost for VBS is $60.00 per child. This is for the staff from Lutherdale. We are asking that each family give a minimum of $10.00 per day per child. Lunch, two drinks and a snack will be provided for your child. The church will absorb the additional costs. If, however, you are able to pay the entire amount of $60.00, it would be greatly appreciated.

If you have any questions, please contact the church office at 708-345-1375 and leave a message for Joy Wieska and she will return your call. We will have registration forms that have to be completed prior to the start of VBS.

Registration forms can be found at Grace Lutheran Church and must be completed no later than July 14,

2014.

Tuesday, July 8Village Board Meeting, 7:00 PM

Wednesday, July 9 Tai Chi – Wellness, 4:30 PM - Divine Providence , Narthex, 2600 Mayfair

Wednesday Movie Night featuring “Wall-E” 6:00 PM at Library.

Friday, July 11First Friday Adoration, Opening Prayers 8 AM untilBenediction at 7PM -- Ministry Cen-ter Chapel, 2540 Mayfair

Monday, July 14Economic Development Committee (EDC) meeting at 7:30 AM in the Community Room of Village Hall.Library Committee of the Whole meeting at 7:00 PM in the library building

Wednesday, July 16 Tai Chi – Wellness, 4:30 PM – Di-vine ProvidenceNarthex, 2600 Mayfair

Wednesday Movie Night featuring “Robots” 6:00 PM at Library.

A knowledgeable team of climate experts will be addressing the subject of climate change. A lively discus-sion will be followed by questions and refreshments. Sponsored by the Citizen’s Climate Lobby and Save The Prairie Society. 6:30 PM in the Community Room of the Westchester Library. For more information, con-tact savetheprairiesociety.org or call (708)354-5512.

Thursday, July 17Women of Providence-Quilters, 9 AM -- D.P. MinistryCenter, 2540 Mayfair

Friday, July 18Taizé Prayer, 7:30 PM –Divine Provi-dence Church, 2600 Mayfair

BBQ and Blues Block Party, Com-munity Center Park, 10201 Bond St., 5:00-10:30 PM

Saturday, July 19Westchester Community Church Youth Group Carwash, 8:30 - 11:30

am, July 19th. Cars $5, Trucks and Vans $8. All money collected to go to Mission Trip to Sawyer, MI. BBQ and Blues Block Party, Com-munity Center Park, 10201 Bond St., 12:00-10:30 PM

Tuesday, July 22

Village Board Meeting, 7:00 PMWednesday, July 23Tai Chi – Wellness, 4:30 PM – DivineProvidence Narthex, 2600 Mayfair

Wednesday Movie Night featuring “A Bug’s Life” 6:00 PM at Library.

Monday, July 28

Economic Development Committee (EDC) meeting at 7:30 AM in the Community Room of Village Hall.

Library Board of Trustees, at 7:00 p.m. in the library building.

Westchester Community Church - Va-cation Bible School, Ready for a Wild Adventure? Panda Mania is coming to Westchester Community Church, Monday, July 28th through Friday, August 1st. 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Bring your friends for crafts, games, snacks, bible adventures, and music for ages 3 - 5 and 6 - 12. It is free and all are welcome. To register, contact the church office 708-865-1282.

Wednesday, July 30Tai Chi – Wellness, 4:30 PM – DivineProvidence Narthex, 2600 Mayfair

Thursday, July 31Teen movie “Catching Fire” at 2:00 PM at Library. Contact Teen or Youth Dept. at 708-562-3573.TAG meeting (Teen Advisory Group) 6:30 PM at Library. Contact Teen or Youth Dept. at 708-562-3573.

Thursday August 7“Animal Sleepover at the Library” 7:00 PM at Library. A special storytime for children to bring one stuffed animal friend. The animals will spend the night at the Library and children can pick them up at 10:00 AM on Friday, August 8 when they can enjoy donut holes and a special surprise.

18 JULY 2014

Park DiStrict

The Village of Westchester established a municipal electric aggregation savings program in the summer of 2012 following the passage of a voter referendum, which authorized the savings program. The purpose was to help residents purchase electricity at rates lower than ComEd. The program achieved great success: in the first two years of the savings program which expires August 2014, the average participating household will have saved about $280 on their ComEd bill, for a cumulative Village-wide savings over $1.5 million. The savings increases this summer, because the Village of Westchester’s current aggregation program rate is 4.86¢/kWh versus the ComEd rate which could approach 8¢/kWh.

The program’s two-year term expires August 2014. The Village sought bids to renew the program, but declined all offers as the ComEd rate has decreased and the savings margin has narrowed. No bidders offered a rate below 8 cents per kWh. Thus the Village chose to suspend the program, but may go to bid again to seek savings in 2015.

The ComEd rate is re-set several times a year, and additionally, varies from month-to-month, but is expected to be in a range of 7.93¢ per kWh for the summer of 2014 with the rate for the winter months beginning October 2014 as yet unknown. (The summer rate is 7.596¢ +/- a floating Purchased Electricity Adjustment (PEA) charge which has averaged .33¢ each month for the last three years, for an estimated rate of 7.93¢/kWh.)

Residents enrolled in the Village’s

program will receive a letter from ComEd in July stating their supply service will be switched back to ComEd. This “Confirmation of Drop” notice will state that the participating ratepayer has two billing periods in which they may choose to switch to another supplier or otherwise will be required to remain on ComEd electric supply service for a total of twelve months from the effective date stated on the letter. Residents are advised that they may switch to another supplier only within that initial 60-day window. No action is needed on your part to be moved to the ComEd supply rate.

Residents wishing to switch to another supplier within that first 60-day window may view options at a site established by the Illinois Commerce Commission: http://www.pluginillinois.org. Residents should beware of door-to-door solicitors, direct calls or direct mail pieces regarding electric supply and are advised to review contract terms to understand any floating rates or early termination fees. It is recommended that ratepayers never release your account number to a solicitor under any circumstance, unless they have decided to move to that supplier.

The Village took advantage of multi-year lows in electric prices when it contracted the initial aggregation program rate two years ago. The overall market pricing for electricity has increased in part due to the cold winter, pressure on natural gas supplies and an increase in capacity charges as established by regulators. Although prices are increasing, residents continue to pay less than during the summer of 2010 when

the ComEd rate was about 9 cents per kWh.

Residents with questions about the current contract may call the Village’s supplier for the last two years – FirstEnergy, at 888-651-5200 or the Village’s consultant, NIMEC at 800-727-3820. (When calling NIMEC, please leave your call back number and you will be contacted within 24 hours.) A sample ComEd “Confirmation of Drop” letter follows.

Confirmation of DropDateCustomer NameCustomer Street AddressCity or Town, State Zip code

Account Number:Service Address:City, State, Zip:

Electric Supplier Choice – Confirmation of Drop

Dear Customer:

We have received notice that effective August 1, 2014, First Energy will no longer be your electric supplier of choice. Your electric supplier is being changed to ComEd.

If you would like to switch to a new electric supplier other than ComEd, you must make this change within the next (2) bill periods, otherwise you will be required to remain on ComEd electric supply service for a total of twelve months from the effective date. (Note: you cannot return to your previous supplier.) Non-Residential customers with demand usage greater than 100 kW

and customers on hourly rates do not have this time restriction and my select another supplier at any time. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about customer choice, please visit ComEd.com/customerchoice.

For questions or information regarding your previous electric supplier, please contact First Energy at 888-651-5200. If you would like a list of eligible Retail Electric Suppliers that are able to serve you in ComEd’s service area, please visit ComEd.com/customerchoice.

You will remain a ComEd customer for electric delivery services. ComEd will still deliver electricity to customers in Northern Illinois independent of electric supplier choice.

ComEd will continue to maintain the electric system and restore service after storms or power outages. If you have any questions about your delivery services, such as power outages, metering, moving to a new address or service requests, please visit us at ComEd.com or at 1-800-EDISON-1 (1-800-334-7661) for Residential customers or at 1-877-4-ComEd-1 (1-877-426-6331) for Commercial customers.

ComEd supports electricity competition and customer choice. To learn more about customer choice, please visit ComEd.com/customerchoice or PlugInIllinois.org.

Sincerely,

Val Jensen,Senior Vice President, Customer

Operations

Municipal aggregation program to be suspended in Westchester

On Saturday, May 17th Boy Scouts from Westchester Troop 73, sponsored by the Westchester Community Church, participated in STEM-O-RAMA.

STEM which means science, technology, engineering and mathematics was open to the public and was held at the Kane County Fairgrounds.

It was created to give youth an opportunity to explore and develop

skills in these areas and to help them develop skills to compete in the competitive world market.

The Troop was part of over 100 STEM exhibits. Their exhibit focused on chemistry in the kitchen and included 3 experiments – magic liquid layers, oobleck and the naked egg experiment. Troop 73’s Scoutmaster, Jim Majors, a chemical engineer, also was a speaker at the event.

Troop 73’s scientists -Stephen Majors, Alex Majors, Andres Espin, Johnny Milas, Lucas Honan, Chris Tam and Scoutmaster Jim Majors. Not pictured Danny Kalish and Patrick Gundry.

Troop 73 participates in STEM-O-RAMA

JULY 2014 19

20 JULY 2014

Business Office

Going into the summer months the school district is preparing for the major cleaning of all the schools, in preparation for the next school year. All the schools are planning small projects for updating different areas of the buildings with paint and small repairs. The major projects planned are for the construction of a small room in the Primary building library to house the network equipment for the computer system in the school. This enclosure will ensure the security of the system. Other projects are to replace fascia boards on the original section of the Middle School building where original boards need to be replaced due to deterioration of the wood over the years. The district will also be doing some patching of parking lots to fix the areas that were hard hit during the winter.

The district will also be meeting and deciding on the major projects that need to be accomplished in all the buildings and define the priority for these projects. All of this is being done in anticipation of the district going for a referendum to complete the major projects. Items being discussed are new heating and cooling systems in all the buildings, renovated bathrooms at the Primary building, window repair at Intermediate, updated security systems in all the buildings. These items will be reviewed and prioritized for presentation to the board.

Westchester Primary School

As we move into summer, I’d like to stress the importance of making reading an enjoyable and fun experience with your child. On this note, how we model learning is more important than what we are learning. When dedicating 20 minutes each night to reading, it is important to note that we want our children to experience success and, more importantly, enjoyment with the time they spend reading with us. Yes, recognizing sight words, correctly pronouncing letter sounds and putting them all nicely together to decode a multisyllabic word is what we strive for in order to produce f luent readers. However, it is within this highly complex sequence that we most especially want to impart comprehension

for the enjoyment and pleasure of reading.

When reading with your child this summer, please take a few moments to scan the text and find words that you know they may find a particular challenge. Be prepared mentally to provide wait-time (patience) to allow them the opportunity to decode (sound out) the word. If you find yourself in a situation where you need to provide assistance, take a moment to properly pronounce the individual and/or combination sounds. Let them hear you pronounce the word correctly and then ask them to pronounce it back to you. Upon completion, have them finish the sentence and ask them what they think that word means. If they are having difficulty with describing what the word means, please provide them with a context clue from the sentence and/or visual in the story. Remember to follow up with your own explanation of the definition as well as hare additional synonyms for that word. If is very important that you use rich and descriptive language while discussing any spoken or written language. The connections they make will astound you, as well as their own social and academic language usage.

Finally, as these fun summer learning moments connect you to your child, so does your disposition. Remember to share stories with them. Take turns reading, using plenty of intonation, developing character voices, pointing to pictures, and, most importantly, laughing. The most powerful encoding (learning) occurs when there is a positive emotion tied to our reading. Enjoy summer reading with your child!

Westchester Middle School Mrs. Demakis’s 8th grade classes Skyped with WMS alumni and former art student Kathryn Capri Dougan. She is a visual effects artist and 3-D modeler working in Hollywood, California. Her extensive film credits can be found on IMDB. Mrs. Dougan gave students an opportunity to ask questions about her career, how she got started, her education and much more. She created two videos for students to better understand what technology and art skills she uses. She also discussed the importance of using other curriculums. Kierra L. said, “It was an amazing and new experience”. Imilio G. mentioned

that “an opportunity like this a way of of teaching others what you can do.” Eric R. stated that it was easier than talking on the phone. “Because she explained it so well (with demos and conversation), I got a full understanding of what she does.” Luigi C. thought it was nice of her to take time out of her busy work schedule to talk to us. Mrs. Demakis’s summed it up, “Skyping is a great way to introduce students to the many broad career paths in art. They need to see the

correlation between the skills they are learning here in class and how they relate to the real world.”

Congratulations to the PBIS team at Westchester Middle School! Our school has been recognized at the Silver Level for its implementation of PBIS during the 2013-2014 school year. PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. Through this program, WMS provides support for all students to achieve social, emotional and academic success.

Westchester School District Notes

JULY 2014 21

Residents having fun at Get Out And Play Day June 7.

community DeveloPment22 JULY 2014

BUSINESS SUMMIT MEETING

On March 20, 2014, the Economic Development Committee (EDC) of Westchester held a Business Leader Summit, where business leaders were invited to hear about the following:

• Overview of the EDC &Accomplishments

• Business Retention SurveyResults-the EDC distributed a survey of business owners to identify the needs and concerns of the business community.

• InformationaboutwhatVillageis doing to support businesses

• Newbusinessesandupcomingdevelopments

• Questions / comments /suggestions from you

As a result of this meeting, the Commission will begin focusing on the following recommendations of the business community in attendance.

Bus transportation Walkways / safe pedestrian avenues

for shoppingPermitting process suggestions

Melissa Headley, Director of Community Development, is working

with PACE to explore the addition of increased bus service particularly on Wolf Road going south from Cermak to 31st street. The EDC also identified more stops along the Roosevelt / Addison Creek corridor to support those businesses as well.

The EDC is working on identifying crosswalks that may need to be improved along major thoroughfares to increase safety for shoppers in the various districts.

The Village of Westchester has been and will continue to revamp the permitting process using the suggestions of the business community to simplify the process, while maintaining codes to safeguard the public health, safety and general welfare and safety to life and property from fire and other hazards attributed to the built environment.

COMMUNITY RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS are welcome to attend the EDC meetings held on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month at 7:30 AM. Are you interested in getting involved in the Community? The EDC is accepting applications for an open position. Please forward your resume and contact information to:

Village Trustee Frank Perry or Melissa Headley, Director of

Community DevelopmentVillage of Westchester 10300 W Roosevelt Rd Westchester, IL 60154 Fax: 708-345-0199fperry@westchester-il.org or mheadley@westchester-il.org

Pre-Application Meetings

Did you know that the Village offers pre-application meetings to all business owners and property owners in the Village, free of charge. A pre-application meeting provides you an opportunity, early in the planning stage for a building project, to meet with representatives from the various departments at the Village that will be involved in reviewing your project. Information will be provided to you regarding what documents and permits will be required for your project. We will discuss the time frame expected to process your permit(s). You will be sent a written record of the Pre-application Meeting to help guide you through the process. These “Pre-App” meetings are intended to provide an overview of the regulatory

requirements and application process. Our goal in this process is to make the permitting process as efficient and understandable as possible.

Pre-App meetings are highly recommended as they identify early on in the process potential obstacles with proposed projects. This helps property owners, contractors, developers, and businesses owners determine the feasibility of projects before expending much money. Applicants are provided with requirements, expectations, and code references to assist them with their project. These help ensure complete and correct submittals when applying for building or land use permits which improve plan review and approval times, reduce the need for resubmittals, and save applicants time and money.

The Pre-App is a forum for village staff to assist you during the feasibility and preliminary analysis phase of your project. The information we provide does not constitute a formal approval or permit and is dependent on the level of information you give us.

If you are interested in scheduling a pre-application meeting or have any questions, please contact Melissa Headley, Director of Community Development at 708-345-0199 or via email at mheadley@westchester-il.org.

Economic Development Committee Meeting

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Public WorkS26 JULY 2014

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