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Families Celebrate New Adoptions on November 18th More Inside Community > PAGE 3

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The future of healthcare Democrats’ sweep of Virginia shows the state is moving beyond its Confederate past

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CCT ADDS PIVEN THEATRE AS NEWEST EDUCATION PARTNER crafts, conch hunts and more. The price is CHICAGO, November 8, 2017 – $375. Hours are 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with drop Evanston’s Piven Theatre Workshop off starting at 8:30 a.m. and after care availwill establish its first partnership with Chicago Children’s Theatre when it able until 5:30 p.m. for an additional fee. Visit starts offering advanced youth acting chicagochildrenstheatre.org/wintercamp to classes at Chicago Children’s Theatre, register your child. Limited spots available.

The Station, in January.

“Classes at Chicago Children’s Theatre are a Piven Theatre Workshop joins a robust blast and a great way for kids to meet other kids list of elite Chicago youth arts education from all over the city, but they also, and imporproviders helping train young minds, tantly, help kids build confidence, overcome from newborns to age 13, at Chicago Chilfears, learn to solve problems as individuals and dren’s Theatre’s new West Loop home. as a group, boost imagination and creativity, CCT education partners at The Station think fast on their feet, become collaboraalready include The Second City, now tors and, ultimately, be greater community offering improv classes in the West Loop members,” said Frank Maugeri, Community for kids ages 9 to 13, Old Town School Programs Artistic Director, Chicago Children’s of Folk Music’s Wiggleworms early Theatre. childhood music education classes, and “That’s why we continue to open new doors circus and aerial arts with The Actors of opportunity, by forging great partnerships Gymnasium. with fine institutions like The Second City, Old The Actors Gymnasium is one of Chicago’s first arts education partners at Piven’s arrival in January marks a new Town School of Folk Music, The Actors Gymchapter in advanced acting classes for kids Chicago Children’s Theatre’s new West Loop home, offering classes in circus and aerial arts. nasium, The Happiness Club, iCook After School, at Chicago Children’s Theatre. Introand now, Piven Theatre Workshop, each tops in diverse roster of performing arts classes anywhere in ductory courses taught by CCT teaching their field.”

Chicago. artists now include Intro to Acting, Shake the Stage and Registration is open for the upcoming, eight-week Also new this year, CCT is offering its first Beach Stage Combat for Kids. For parents eager to support winter session of camp and classes, January 22-March Party Winter Camp, Tuesday, January 2 through Friday, 17, 2018, at Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Station, their child’s commitment to their theater studies, January 5. This camp is ideal for parents who need a Introduction to Piven Theater Workshop (grades 3-5) 100 S. Racine Street in Chicago’s West Loop. Visit chibreak after the holidays, or need to get back to work, cagochildrenstheatre.org/winterclasses to view class and Piven Theatre Workshop Improvisation and Scene but their kids are still looking for something fun to do on schedules and sign your children up online, or stop by Study (grades 6-8) will become part of the growing winter break.

Chicago Children’s Theatre, Monday through Friday, 9 curriculum at The Station.

Kids ages six to ten will have a blast taking an island a.m. to 5 p.m. or weekends during show hours to regisAdd CCT’s interactive courses like Teeny Tales, vacation in the heart of the West Loop this winter, ter in person.

Bubble Jams, Hip Hop 4Totz and Hip Hop 4Kidz, and with singing, dancing, surfing in front of a green screen For more, email education@chicagochildrenstheatre.

Chicago Children’s Theatre’s new West Loop home is wave simulation, learning to walk on beach balls, beach org or call the education department, (312) 374-8834. now a centrally located community hub with the most

TRAVEL Real Talk -- When Was The Last Time You Enjoyed Your Business Trip?

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(NewsUSA)

-It’s hard to believe that 2017 is more than halfway over and that winter is coming soon.

With that, life starts to speed up as the holidays loom around the corner, and you may find yourself traveling for work a bit more in the coming months as companies try to wrap up end-of-the-year projects.

Welcome to real travel.

What does that mean exactly?

While we would all like to plan trips to exotic locations for weeks at a time, the truth is that people travel for life reasons, such as visiting relatives, meeting with clients, and for children’s sports.

Just because these types of trips are practical does not mean they can’t also be enjoyable. And one travel blogger has some ideas on how to inject some fun into your real life trips.

Danielle Smith, wife, mother, and creator of the Pretty Extraordinary website, “A place where you can ditch perfection, embrace the juggle and come away celebrating the small victories,” believes there are some simple ways to get the best out of real travel.

* Make Practical Trips Fun and Fun Trips Practical: Whether you are obligated to visit a family member or simply travel for business, seek out a few opportunities to enjoy the time away.

Find a new restaurant that serves your favorite type of food, take in a show or visit a local treasure. Alternatively, if you have the opportunity to steal away for vacation, take the time to do a college tour with your kids: even if they aren’t looking yet, you never know what doors you may open. * Seek the Perks: For any type of travel, always look for hotels that offer the amenities that will make your stay Danielle Smith, wife, mother, and creator of the Pretty Extraordinary website, says both more comfortable and affordable. there are some simple ways to get the best out of real travel.

When traveling for business, chances are your stay more pleasurable. To help fuel up for those long you’re visiting clients in various cities, so it’s important to days on the road or endless meetings, the hotel provides On find a hotel brand that consistently offers what you need. the Run breakfast bags as a perk. Need to stay up late workHampton by Hilton, for instance, has more than 2,240 proping into the evening? There’s free Wi-Fi for that. erties around the world and offers free amenities to make * Plan for Disruption: We all know that real travel involves

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COMMUNITY

Giving Thanks

Families Celebrate New Adoptions on November 18th CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“Together, we felt that these adoptive families deserved a special As families prepare to gather celebration to commemorate this around the dinner table in important milestone of beginanticipation of the upcoming nings,” she added.

Thanksgiving holiday, some “The day an adoption is finalchildren of adoptive parents ized is one families never forget. have already sang praises of And while the adoption proceedthanks. ings take place at the courthouse, According to www.amerhaving a place to come together and icanadoptions.com, famous celebrate the end of a long waiting adoptees include, Dave period is a unique experience that Thomas, founder of Wendy’s, we feel honored to be a part of,” she a successful fast food chain. continued.

African-American author, poet In 2016, approximately 4,700 and Pulitizer Prize nominee children were adopted by their Maya Angelou also tops the forever families in more than 400 list of famous adoptees. Steve cities across the United States Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc., during National Adoption Day, who was adopted as an infant, according todavethomasfoundaleft a legacy in the field of techtion.org. According to a Chicago nology celebrating his genius.

Children’s Museum press release, On November 18, Chicago there are more than 110,000 Children’s Museum and the children in the foster care system Illinois Department of Chilnationwide. In Illinois, nearly On November 18, Chicago Children’s Museum and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) dren and Family Services 1,400 children await adoption into (DCFS) will partner up to shine will partner up to shine a light on local children recently adopted by parents. Photo Credit: Chicago Children’s permanent homes. a light on local children recently Museum Chicago Children’s Museum is the adopted by parents. attend. first cultural institution in Illinois The festivities are a part of National Adoption Day, Chicago Children’s Museum Associate Vice Presto partner with DCFS in celebrating adoptions in a collective nationwide effort held to raise awareident of Community and Educational Partnerships recognition of National Adoption Day. “For many ness of the children in foster care. The celebration Saleem Hue Penny said, “Our partnership with the of these families, this is their first playdate,” Penny of adoptions begins at 5-8pm at Chicago Children’s Illinois Department of Children and Family Services stated. “At Chicago Children’s Museum, they’re able Museum, located on 700 E Grand Ave., where more (DCFS) stemmed from our shared vision to move the to spend time together as a family, engage in positive, than 100 adoptive family members are expected to celebration beyond the courtroom,” Penny explained. meaningful play, and create a community of support

By Lisette Gushiniere

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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POLITISCOPE

Democrats’ sweep of Virginia shows the state is moving beyond its Confederate past Republican Ed Gillespie with just under 54 percent of the vote.

In its first election since Northam saw particularly Trump became president, strong support from a diverse Virginia gave Democrats a population of suburban voters in sweeping victory. This oneArlington, Fairfax and Loudoun time swing state and former Toni-Michelle C. Travis counties, where Virginia’s ConConfederate capital elected federate history figures less Democrats in all three statewide races – prominently than in the state’s more rural governor, lieutenant governor and attorney and southern parts. Black voters in Tidewageneral. ter and Richmond, the capital, also rallied Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, a mild-manaround Northam. nered physician from Virginia’s eastern The Democratic candidate for lieutenant shore, led the ticket with a platform focused governor, Justin Fairfax, drew his base on women’s reproductive rights, climate from the same areas. He beat out Republichange and racial justice. He defeated can House of Delegates member Jill Vogel,

By Toni-Michelle C. Travis

53 percent to 47 percent. Fairfax will be the first black politician to hold statewide office in Virginia since former Gov. Douglas Wilder became lieutenant governor in 1985.

Fairfax, who has never held elected office, is now in a position to follow the path of Governor-elect Northam and seven other Virginia lieutenant governors who’ve risen to the state’s highest office. If he were to do so, he would become only the second African-American ever to lead Virginia.

Race is never an afterthought in southern politics. And in Virginia’s election, it was a central factor. As a political analyst who focuses on race, I interpret this Democratic triumph as a sign that the Old Dominion has CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

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NOVEMBER 15 2017

FOOD

Two Meals in One: Arborio Rice, Perfect for Risotto & Arancini

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Arancini can be made large or small to serve as a main dish or an appetizer, plus they can be made ahead of time and fried right before serving.

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hot-button issue in Virginia since alt-right, pro-Confederacy protesters killed one person in Charlottesville in August.

Gillespie also attacked Northam on Gov. McAuliffe’s policy of restoring the voting rights of former felons, and he opposed sanctuary cities. Gillespie ran television ads implying that immigrants would join violent gangs like MS-13, which did not play well in liberal urban areas.

As a result, Northam actually fared better in northern Virginia suburbs – a key population center – than Hillary Clinton did in 2016. Arlington voters gave Northam 80 percent, Fairfax 67 percent, Loudoun 59

percent and Prince William 61 percent.

In heavily black cities like Norfolk and Hampton, too, Northam saw a robust win.

Statewide, 87 percent of black voters and 67 percent of Latino voters supported the Democratic candidate.

Even before polls officially closed at 7 p.m., it was clear that this diverse coalition of black Virginians, northern Virginia suburbanites and city-dwellers had become a powerful voting bloc. Together, these communities put Northam, Fairfax and over a dozen Democratic General Assembly delegates into office.

A new era This strong Democratic showing suggests

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Stir 1 beaten egg into risotto. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining egg and milk. Roll 2 tablespoons of risotto into a ball. Press a piece of mozzarella cheese into the center; roll to enclose. Coat lightly with flour, dip into the egg mixture; roll in Panko to coat. Refrigerate for 10 minutes (or overnight).

Heat oil for frying in a deep fryer or deep saucepan to 350 degrees F. Fry rice balls in small batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with warm marinara sauce.

For more information on this and other mouth-watering recipes, visit www.riceselect.com.

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Dan Credit:

* Vegetable oil for deep frying Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring until onion is soft but not browned.

Add rice; cook stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in ? cup stock; continue cooking and stirring until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring & cooking until all the stock has been absorbed. Stir in prosciutto. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat; stir in Parmesan cheese. Transfer risotto to a bowl, and allow to cool; if time allows, chill for an hour in refrigerator.

Democrats’ sweep of Virginia shows the state is moving beyond its Confederate past entered a new era – one characterized by definite urban-rural divisions.

City vs. country In modern Virginia, urban areas have considerable racial and ethnic diversity, especially in northern Virginia. These cities vote overwhelmingly democratic.

Republican Ed Gillespie, a Washington lobbyist who almost defeated incumbent senator Mark Warner in 2014, knows this.

So he ran a campaign clearly aimed at appealing to the Trump base throughout rural Virginia.

Gillespie favored retaining statues of Confederate icons like Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, a particularly

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-It’s been said that risotto waits for no one. And perhaps that is true if you want it fresh, but now you can turn leftover risotto into a show-stopping special meal. While you enjoy a delightful creamy risotto for dinner, the question remains; what do you do with the leftovers?

As delicious as it is freshly made, it doesn’t reheat well. To the rescue, arancini, those delicious Italian fried rice balls, crispy on the outside and inside creamy risotto filled with velvety melted cheese centers.

Arancini originated in Sicily around the 10th century, but have become so popular today that the word “arancini” was recently added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary.

Not only are arancini delicious, but they can be made large or small to serve as a main dish or an appetizer, plus they can be made ahead of time and fried right before serving.

See for yourself what all the fuss is about with this arancini recipe, which is provided by the maker of RiceSelect Arborio, the number one selling Arborio in the U.S. Arancini * 1 tablespoon olive oil * 1 small onion, finely chopped * 2 clove garlic, crushed * 1 cup uncooked RiceSelect Arborio rice * 3 cups heated chicken stock * 2 ounces finely chopped prosciutto or ham * Salt and pepper to taste * 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese * 1 egg, beaten * 1 egg * 1 tablespoon milk * 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 3/4 inch cubes * 1/2 cup all-purpose flour * 1 cup seasoned panko (or bread crumbs)

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Giving Thanks Families Celebrate New Adoptions on November 18th CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

among other adoptive families— all while forming lifelong family traditions and cherished memories,” she added.

Penny said access is an important part of the museum’s overall mission. “We want to ensure this is a diverse and vibrant place where all sorts of families can see themselves in the space,” she said.

“We invest deeply in community engagement activities and in our commitment to diversity and inclusion. We were the first cultural institution in Illinois to sign on to the Museums for All initiative, which links food insecurity to steeply discounted admissions,” she added. “This is just the latest in a full suite of engagement activities, including waived admission once a week and the first Sunday of every month, as well as Play for All, a free monthly program dedicated to families with children with disabilities.

We’re also proud to partner with more than 400 community organizations that advocate for critical children’s issues, including quality education, healthy development, and disability awareness,” she continued.

By working with policymakers, practitioners and advocates on a national level to create, finalize and celebrate adoptive families, Penny pointed out that the process literally changes the lives of children waiting to find loving homes. Chicago Children’s Museum is honored to be able to participate in the event on a local level alongside DCFS, Penny said.

DCFS Acting Director B.J. Walker is scheduled to also appear. The celebration will open with welcoming comments from Walker, congratulating the newly formed families. Following the proceedings, families will be able to enjoy Chicago Children’s Museum’s programs and exhibits. For more information, please visit www.ChicagoChildrensMuseum.org.

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Acellus robots now in place at Washington Elementary and Junior High Schools Dolton West Elementary District 148 administrators, teachers and students are getting some hands-on experience with robotics.

The District has implemented Acellus STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Robotic Labs at Washington Elementary and Junior High Schools. The labs are being piloted this year at these two Riverdale schools. They are two of 10 District 148 schools.

District 148 is one of the first school districts in Illinois to have the Acellus STEM Robotics Labs. The school system is looking forward to implementing the labs Districtwide.

“We are overjoyed to deliver such a unique and imperative educational experience to our young people. It is imperative that we help prepare them for college and career options in the STEM fields. We love and appreciate having the ability to fully equip our students with cutting edge technology in the classrooms,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kevin J. Nohelty.

A total of 15 Acellus robots are in place at the Washington Schools

and students are currently engaged in the program’s lessons.

Students use touch-screen monitors, dry erase markers and a specially-coated tabletop to learn, interact with and use coding language to program the small, blue and white Acellus robots.

These labs allow students to learn, discover and create in a hands-on environment designed to prepare students for STEM careers in society.

Teacher and administrator training has already taken place and will continue during the coming weeks.

Matching funds for the purchase of the Acellus STEM Learning Pods, Acellus licenses and media servers was made available through grants. Grant funding also was provided for professional development for teachers and administrators.

Approximately 2,100 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade attend District 148 schools. The District serves families in sections of Dolton, Riverdale, Harvey and South Holland.

Cook County Assessor To Address Recent Reports Please allow the Cook County Assessor’s Office to address recent inaccurate reports and misconceptions about property assessment in Cook County.

The Civic Consulting Alliance (CCA) is studying the assessmentand appeal processes, including Assessor’s Office procedures, assessment models, the Cook County Board Review and other aspects. Assessor Joseph Berrios welcomed the CCA study.

The study’s timing has been questioned, and Assessor Berrios criticized for it. However, critics and media have ignored the fact that CCA does not report to the Assessor. He has absolutely no authority over their timetable.

To be clear, the Assessor’s only responsibility is to fully cooperate with the study. He continues to do that and providesstudy personnel with office space. Assessor Berrios respects the CCA study which, unlike others, includes assessment professionals.

Accomplishments of the Berrios administration are disregarded.

For example, it has six straight years of on-time assessmentsleading to timely tax bills. Previously, bills were late for 34 years.

On-time revenue for schools, etc. eliminates $5 to $6 million countywide in monthly interest on borrowing while awaiting revenue. In the last 13 years before Berrios was elected, 39 late months accumulated. Berrios’ zero late months saved taxpayers many tens of millions of dollars, and counting.

Past assessors left erroneous exemptions unchecked. Assessor Berrios designed the law with which he recovers this would-be lost money and returns it to school districts, communities and municipalities. To date, $47.2 million has been billed.

More than a year ago, Berrios conceived and began to help pass legislation giving lower-income homeowners greater flat-rate, money-saving exemptions. The Berrios-engineered exemption

expansion became law in August.

For appeals awareness, CCAO has raised annual community appearances to 238 - and 81 percent are in areas with lower-market homes.

None of these things were acknowledged in recent reports.

When discussing taxes, please keep in mind the important fact that assessors don’t set tax rates. Also, the State Equalizer has gone down dramatically since Joseph Berrios became Assessor, an indication of fair assessments.

The Cook County Assessor’s Office again states, unequivocally, that its estimated property values are fair and accurate. There is no rampant overassessment of lower-market homes or under-valuation of higher ones.

Previous administrations employed the same assessment model we use, and they were not criticized. Berrios is criticized, without regard for his tremendous Assessor’s Office improvements - despite staff cuts of 31 percent. The timing is odd.

Some observers without assessment experience say Cook County should use a recently developed assessment model. In fact, after initial enthusiasm for that new model, we found it did not work when full implementation was attempted.

With 47 years of public service, Joseph Berrios knows assessing Cook County’s 1.85 million properties is difficult. But he gets the job done, works to ensure fairness and to improve the system. Thank you.

Tom Shaer, Deputy Assessor for Communications, Cook County Assessor’s Office

What the charges against Manafort, Gates and Papadopoulos could mean for Trump CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

that Virginia is entering a new era.

History is the foundation of the Old Dominion, one of America’s 13 original colonies. However, in my assessment, the 2017 gubernatorial election proved that forward-thinking Virginians now place a greater value on the future than on the past.

Although it is a southern state, Virginia rejected ads that sought to racially divide and frighten the electorate. Even the rallying cry of the Confederate flag and Civil War monuments did not deter voters from writing new history. With little fanfare, the

state carried a black attorney into the office of lieutenant governor.

This Democratic shift is only likely to grow. I believe rural Virginia voters will gradually lose their political clout – even in the representative General Assembly – as lack of jobs continues to shrink the rural population.

In contrast, census data show that Virginia’s urban areas will expand. That likely means more Democratic voters.

The big question now is whether the Democrats’ victory in Virginia portends a

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national trend. In 2018, 36 states and three territories elect governors. More than 30 senators will face election.

I see Virginia’s “off-off-year” election as a repudiation of Trump’s policies. The state showed that African-Americans, suburbanites and millennials could be the vanguard of future Democratic contests. Next year, all America will find out if Virginia was the start of something bigger.

Toni-Michelle C. Travis is a Professor of American Politics at George Mason University.

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Cook County Recorder of Deed’s Will Run for Clerk By: Katherine Newman

In the same election that voters reelected Karen Yarbrough to serve another four years as Cook County Recorder of Deeds (CCRD), they also voted to fold her office into the Cook County Clerk’s responsibility. The bittersweet victory caused Yarbrough to consider her options and set her next goal, running for Cook County Clerk.

The CCRD office will be consolidated into the Clerks office by 2020 and Yarbrough wants to make sure her progress in the recorders office doesn’t fall by the wayside.

“I am running for the Clerks position because I want to make sure that a couple things happen. At the top of our list is cyber security and making sure peoples’ voting records, peoples vital records, and land records are kept safe,” said Yarbrough.

For nearly five years, Yarbrough has been the CCRD. During that time she has beefed up the fraud department, increased the number of DD-214 military discharge papers that have been recorded and filed for veterans, and held around 500 workshops across Cook County to educate people on how to protect their own interests, specifically the deeds to their homes.

“You cant depend on government for everything and depending on what day of the week and what clerk you get, you may or may not get the right information. If you teach people how to and where to look for what they need, they can be their own advocate and that’s what I’ve tried to do here in the recorders office,” said Yarbrough.

In a recent press release, Yarbrough warned the county of a company using the name of her office to sell fraud protection that is already offered for free. She has officially asked the company to cease and desist from using the CCRD name to defraud county residents.

“Every week, my Property Fraud Unit is helping people get their homes back, or invalidating fraudulent recordings,” she said in a press release.

Because home deed’s are public record, she sees many instances of property fraud that have the potential of causing people to lose their homes.

“These culprits are out here stealing peoples homes. We call it paper terrorism because it’s really just done on paper. But let’s face it, at the end of the day that’s what you look to and that’s the proof of who owns what,” said Yarbrough.

Increasing the number of veterans having their DD-214s recorded was also at the top of Yarbrough’s to-do list upon taking office. When she took office they were recording one or two a month, today, the office is recording anywhere from 15-20 a week, according to Yarbrough.

“Those documents are so very important. They are important to the veterans’ family and they are important to the veteran,” said Yarbrough.

DD-214’s are not automatically recorded upon discharge and it can sometimes take over a month to request a replacement of these documents. This can cause a delay in services or a loss of military funeral honors.

“We record it for free and give them a free certified copy and they can always have access,” said Yarbrough.

These are the government services that Yarbrough doesn’t want Cook County to lose.

While she didn’t agree with the decision to dissolve the CCRD’s office, she is hoping to land on her feet and continue serving the county as Clerk Cook County Recorder of Deeds Karen where she will maintain her Yarborough will soon run for Cook County theme of accuracy, effiClerk where she says she’ll continue to focus ciency, and advocacy. on advocacy, efficiency and accuracy.

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Homewood officials hosted an informational meeting on Nov. 9 to discuss the possibility of becoming a home rule community. Photo Credit Katherine Newman

Homewood Holds First Informational Meeting On Home Rule By: Katherine Newman

Homewood held an informational meeting on Nov. 9 for residents and community officials to discuss the possibility of becoming a home rule community.

The meeting pointed to three things that would positively effect the community if they vote to become home ruled.

“We are not a village. We are not a school board. We are not a park district. We are not a library. We are a community. We are the Homewood community and it’s very important that we all stand together,” said Rich Hofeld, Village President.

Under home rule, the village would be able to create and enforce a new rental property code, they would be able to more efficiently hire qualified individuals to serve in the fire and police departments, and they would be able to slightly increase the sales tax to assist with finance schools, parks, and library services.

The desire to enforce rental property codes with regular inspections has come from residents complaining about rental properties in Homewood that are not being maintained well and in-turn decreases the value of their privately owned homes.

“We’re not looking to make this a taxing thing on landlords either, if you are a land lord that keeps your property up and you have an initial inspection where everything is just fine, it might be two or three years before you have another one,” said Bob Grabowski, Homewood Fire Chief.

Many residents at the meeting seemed concerned with the village having the ability to set and raise the sales tax at their own discretion.

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The current proposal is for a small tax increase, but it was made clear in the meeting that the sales tax can be raised by a quarter of one percent per year without resident approval.

“The quarter of 1 percent increase in the sales tax would go directly to other taxing bodies, the school districts, the library and the park district. It can be divided up however they decide. The village is strictly a pass through on that. Based on our sales tax revenue that amounts to almost $1.25 mill,” said Hofeld.

Another key component to the campaign for making Homewood home ruled, is the fire and police department struggling to hire new employees. If they are able to become a home rule community, the departments can hire more qualified individuals faster.

“We so badly need the lateral transfer for fire and police. The amount of money we are paying for overtime while we have rookies in training is astronomical. It’s hurting us all,” said Hofeld.

Homewood voted to become home rule once before and it was overwhelmingly defeated.

Home rule by definition gives local government the power to act independently from the state. Communities with at least 25,000 residents are automatically home ruled.

Homewood must vote to become a home rule municipality because the total population is just under 20,000 people.

“We are a very fiscally sound village and we manage our money very, very well that’s what drives the whole machine,” said Hofeld.

The village board will meet on Dec. 14 and decide if the home rule referendum will be placed on the March 20, 2018 ballot for the community to vote on.

For more information visit http://www. village.homewood.il.us.

www.cstweekly.com

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NOVEMBER 15 2017

SuburbanTimes

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