Village of Westchester January 2022 Newsletter by Village of Westchester, IL

Village of

Westchester Full Newsletter Inside

We Remember Frank J. Perry, Village President Dec. 30, 1970 - Dec. 22, 2021

FRANK J. PERRY 1970-2021

JANUARY 2022

REMEMBERING FRANK In Memory of our Village President Frank Perry 2021 was an incredible year filled with tremendous highs and devastating lows. We started the year anticipating that Covid would be slowing down and we would all be able to enjoy a normal summer. The Village reported surplus funds from the prior fiscal year and the team was successful in passing a large capital projects bond referendum, thanks to the residents and the detailed message put out by the staff and public works department. Everybody was excited knowing that Frank Perry was going to be the next Mayor as he was running uncontested in May and he hit the ground running. The Roosevelt Rd. TIF was getting traction and the Village purchased the adjacent property in order to control the process. We had several developers competing to invest millions of dollars into our town, Westchester, and bring a Starbucks to town along with a host of other National restaurants and a grocery store. The Village purchased new office space for itself and sold its Village Hall to accommodate the development and keep the progress going. The Board passed a balanced budget and started planning for some events that they hoped would bring the town together in celebration. The first event was the 4th of July parade and boy was it hot that day. The event drew a tremendous crowd and participation from surrounding towns, elected officials and all of the government bodies in town. People loved it, from the Speaker of the house Chris “Emmanuel” Welch, to our Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar as well as our neighboring Mayor Thompson of Broadview and many more elected officials who Frank fostered relationships with. With the summer kicked off with the success of the parade, our first year of infrastructure projects began with Public Works taking the ball and running with it. The amount of projects they were able to complete this fiscal year was

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Village of

Westchester JANUARY, 2022

POLICE DEPARTMENT

PUBLIC WORKS

FIRE DEPARTMENT

LIBRARY

SCHOOL DISTRICT

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

SPOTLIGHT ON SENIORS

JANUARY 2022

P olice D e partment

Winter is upon us: SNOW ROUTES

JANUARY, 2022

At the beginning of each street in Westchester there are signs that advise when vehicles can be parked, depending on what street you are on, the day of the week may be different from shown above, these signs have been set up for years now, double check your streets sign, so you do not end up with a citation. During the snow plowing season, the street department will do their best to make sure that they plow every street in Westchester, there is not an exact route that the street department follows, that is determined by many different factors but the snow emergency routes are first. (that information can be found on the Village web site) As always, but especially Now that the Holiday season is upon us, please make sure that you keep your valuables are out of sight when they are in your car, place store bought items in the trunk, don’t give a criminal a reason to break into your car. Police Officers have found quite a number of overhead Garage doors that have been left open, don’t show criminals your valuables or way into your home! Close your garage doors. We wish you the Happiest of the Holiday season, whenever you need the assistance of the Westchester Police Department simply call 911 and we will be happy to help.

Chief Daniel Babich

POLICE BLOTTER 1) At 6:31pm on November 16, 2021 a Criminal Damage to Vehicle was reported on the 11200 block of Cermak Road. A vehicle owner reported that between 5pm and 5:50pm their vehicle’s drivers side window was broken and their purse was taken. 2) At 8:43am on November 17, 2021 a Theft was reported on the 600 block of Norfolk. A resident reported that sometime during the previous night their catalytic converter was taken from their vehicle while parked in front of the house. 3) At 11:27am on November 27, 2021 a Burglary from Motor Vehicle was reported on the 10200 block of Dickens. A resident reported that two of their vehicles were burglarized during the previous evening. Various items were taken and video of the incident was captured and provided to investigators.

4) At 6:58pm on November 28, 2021 a Motor Vehicle Theft was reported at the McDonald’s located at 11110 31st Street. An employee advised that their vehicle was taken from the parking lot. Surveillance video from the restaurant shows a subject enter an unlocked rear door and drive off with the vehicle. 5) At 3:23am on December 5, 2021 a Theft from Motor Vehicle was reported on the 1600 block of Downing. A resident reported that a subject was observed entering their unlocked vehicle in the driveway then walking away. 6) At 4:11pm on December 9, 2021 a Theft was reported on the 1600 block of Mandel. A resident reported that packages delivered by Amazon were missing from the front door approximately 30 minutes after being notified of the delivery.

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PUBLIC WORKS Happy New Year, residents!!

Tree trimming by Sinnott Tree Service will begin in February 2022. Branch and yard waste collection will resume in April 2022. Restoration of parkways that have been damaged by sewer/ water excavations and snow plow damage will resume this spring, as weather permits. The Public Works Department has been filling potholes with cold patch throughout the winter months, weather permitting. Please call Public Works at 708-345-0041 to report a pothole.

Waste Management – 1-800-796-9696 • If your garbage or recycling was not picked up on your regular day, please call Waste Management directly. • If you would like to request a new garbage or recycling receptacle, please call Waste Management directly. • If you have large items that will not fit in you receptacle (i.e. couch, chairs, tables, etc.,) please call Waste Management directly and request a special collection. The Waste Management’s “At Your Door Special Collection” service will pick up unwanted-potentially hazardous and hard-to-recycle items from your home. That number is 1-800-449-7587. The full list of items may be found at www.wmatyourdoor.com/residential.

VILLAGE SNOW RESTRICTIONS Public Works crews work continually to keep our streets free of snow and ice during the winter months. Please assist us by observing the following: • Place garbage cans and bins 3 feet behind the curb line- do not place them in the street. • Do not throw or blow snow back into the cleared streets. • Please observe the “NO PARKING SNOW ROUTE” signs. The snow portion of the signs will be enforced after 2 inches of snow have fallen between December 1st and March 31st. If you reside on a Primary designated SNOW ROUTE, after 2 inches of snowfall you must remove all of vehicles from the street. All vehicles must stay off the street until the streets are cleaned thoroughly by the plows by Public Works. If the snowfall is continuing, the restriction is in place until Public Works completes the plowing for the day. Please check the signs at the corners of your block. If you reside on a secondary route, after 2 inches of snow, there is no parking Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday on the even numbered house side and no parking Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday on the odd numbered house side. Please check the signs at the corners and center of your block for guidance. (This includes ALL side streets not designated a Primary snow route) Adopt a fire hydrant this winter season! Help keep the hydrant clear of snow so that the fire department can easily access the hydrant in case of an emergency and so that the snow plows can easily identify the hydrants while plowing.

50/50 Shared Cost Parkway Tree Program The Village offers a 50/50 shared cost program that includes the purchase and planting of a new parkway tree. Residents who have registered will be sent a list of trees indigenous to the area to choose from, as well as pictures and a general description. The first round of planting will be in Spring 2022. Please call Public Works at 708.345.0041 to register or for more information.

Public Works crews work hard to keep the Village streets clear and safe during these long winter months. We appreciate your cooperation & please drive carefully! As always, residents are asked to call Public Works at 708.345.0041 or the Police (after 3:30pm M-F & on weekends) if an unusual amount of water is visible in the street or parkway. This could be a main break or water leak that requires our immediate attention.

F ire D e partment JANUARY 2022

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L ibrary JANUARY 2022

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Westchester Lions Club Announces 2021 Peace Poster Contest Winners

The Westchester Lions Club named three Divine Providence School students and three Westchester Middle School students as winners of the 2021 Peace Poster Contest. For over three decades, Lions clubs around the globe have been sponsoring a very special art contest in schools and youth groups. Creating peace posters gives children everywhere the chance to express their visions of peace and inspire the world through art and creativity. The 2021 Contest theme is “We Are All Connected,” to observe how Americans have overcome challenges brought on by an unprecedented global pandemic yet remain connected to each other and our communities.

Westchester Lions Club member Matt Duff (from left), Katherine Neris first prize $100; Eleanor Mendez third prize, $25: Josette Colat, 2nd prize $50; 8th grade teacher Theresa Sautariello, and Divine Providence Principal Lynn LeTourneau).

The Westchester Lions Club is a part of Lions Clubs International, a network of volunteers who work together to answer the needs that challenge communities that consists of more than 1.3 million members in approximately 45,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around the world.

(From left: Westchester Middle School Peace Poster Contest Winners are: First Prize of $100 Danielle Rehder; 2nd Prize of $50 Milena Schoff; and 3rd Prize of $25 Alexa Sibrava)

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Happy New Year from the WPTC Happy New Year from the WPTC!! We hope everyone enjoyed their winter break and had a wonderful holiday season. We wish you a happy and healthy 2022! The schools had a busy and exciting Fall! We were able to hold both our Fall and Winter parties at WPS and WIS. Each class was allowed one parent volunteer to come in and do a craft and a game. We were so happy to be able to provide something fun for the kids! The WPTC donated 3 holiday trees at the park district for WPS, WIS and WMS and they were decorated by students and staff. We hope you were able to swing by and see the beautiful decorations. We also wanted to spread some winter joy and purchased a snowman inflatable to greet the students at each school. We think the children...(and staff!) are enjoying them!! There have also been numerous successful restaurant fundraisers including Lou Malnati’s, Portillo’s and McTeacher night. Thank you for all of your support thus far! Did you know the WPTC is now on Instagram? Follow us @ wptc925! We have some fun events coming up! Be on the lookout for: *January 12- Our second WPTC meeting which will be held at WIS at 6pm. All WPTC members are welcome to attend! *January 20- Mattone’s Restaurant fundraiser Fliers will be sent home! *January 31-February 6th- Nothing Bundt Cake Fundraiser Fliers will be sent home! *Various other restaurant fundraisers will include: Jimmy John’s, Jason’s Deli, Chipotle, Wendy’s. Look for fliers in the upcoming months! *February 14th- Valentine Classroom Parties Volunteer opportunities may be available! Please continue to check our Facebook page and website for any updates! www. wptc.membershiptoolkit.com https:// www.facebook.com/WPTC92.5 or follow us on Instagram @wptc925. You can also reach the WPTC via email at wptc925@ gmail.com. We are happy to be serving as your WPTC Board and encourage you to contact us if you have any questions or concerns! Thank you for your support thus far! Tammy Flynn- President Crystal Bozzelli- VP of WPS Karen Spiropoulos- VP of WIS Mary Ellen Newhouse- VP of WMS Elis Guidice- Treasurer Sarah Faitz- Secretary

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Cook County Officials and The Anti-Cruelty Society Promote Rabies Vaccination Event Cook County Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar (16th) joined representatives from the Village of Westchester, Cook County’s Department of Animal Control, and members of The Anti-Cruelty Society to promote rabies vaccination among resident’s dogs. Pet owners also had the option of getting microchip implants, along with a variety of other services. The first 75 dogs that arrived got their rabies vaccination free of charge. “I am excited to join the Village of Westchester, Cook County Animal Control, and The Anti-Cruelty Society in providing rabies vaccination and other vet services to the pets in our district. We want all our residents even the furry ones - to have a healthy and safe holiday season,” said Cook County Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar. This vaccination drive was a cost-effective and accessible way to make sure household pets are protected in the present, and animals throughout Cook County are at lower risks for rabies and other illnesses in the future. “Cook County has offered low cost or free rabies vaccine and microchip clinics to the public since 2006. New this year, we partnered with local animal organizations to bring this essential service to residents,” said Mark Rosenthal, deputy director of the Cook County Department of Animal and Rabies

Control. “Preventing the transmission of rabies is a critical mission of ours. Making it easier for residents to vaccinate and microchip their dogs and cats will help keep pets healthy and happy.” The Village of Westchester was instrumental in organizing this vaccination drive, being a hub for pet owners throughout Westchester and the larger-Cook County. “We look forward to this partnership with Cook County and Commissioner Aguilar,” said Nick Steker, Trustee with the Village of Westchester. “The commissioner’s office has been very in tune to the services and needs of our community and this is just another example of this partnership. During this season all of our residents’ budgets are tight, and in these uncertain times any savings that we can pass along to our residents is helpful.” Commissioner Aguilar’s facilitation of local townships like Westchester connecting with organizations such as The Anti-Cruelty society, while also bringing in more county resources, has shown to be an effective strategy to creating accessible and effective opportunities to support our residents, no matter how many legs they have. “Our mission is to build happy and healthy communities where pets and people thrive together. Our Wellness Fairs allow The Anti-Cruelty Society to support the community and provide dog owners with free vaccinations and microchips, as well as supplies, behavior advice, and access to spay and neuter surgeries,” said Lydia Krupinski, the Society’s Chief Program Officer and Vice President of Mission Impact. “This program provides the extra support and compassion that can make the difference to pet owners and help keep pets and families together.”

JANUARY 2022

FRANK J. PERRY 1970-2021

JANUARY 2022

REMEMBERING FRANK CONTINUED FROM PAGE A2 amazing and everything was running like clockwork. The attention turned to the planning of the Westchester Fest in August and again we were off and running. Not knowing what Covid would bring we put the Fest together in only a few months, changing locations, trying to find vendors for food and entertainment last minute and getting volunteers to help out. Frank and his team was there every step of the way, supporting staff by volunteering, making phone calls and in general, just being Frank, positive and re-assuring. It was an incredible 3 days of food, craft beer, rides for the kids and awesome music with some tremendous headliner bands concluding with a fireworks show like no one has seen before. We were riding high and Frank was just hitting his stride. Fall rolled around and we were planning more events with the Park District, our Police department was able to add 2 more officers by placing 2 in special units and the Fire Department was able to get back to its recommended staffing level and put its new ambulance in service. All along, Frank was there every step of the way lending his advice and support to continue moving forward. It was about that time that Frank started feeling a little off and when he went to the doctor he got the news that would stop most men in their tracks. He was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer and he was in for the fight of his life. Frank never gave up, never quit and never complained. He still was involved with the Village worrying about what’s next and best for the Village all while trying to battle cancer and worry about his own family. He finally lost his battle on December 22, 2021 and in typical Frank Perry fashion had everything set up for a smooth transition for the Village. He loved this Village and was truly the epitome of a public servant. I was fortunate to meet Frank about 2 ½ years ago when I was interviewing for the job and we became fast friends from the day we met. We had the same vision and ideas for Westchester and what it could be and the same philosophy on building a solid team of leaders that could carry out that vision. He was a great motivator and leader that kept everybody on point without

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FRANK J. PERRY 1970-2021

JANUARY 2022

REMEMBERING FRANK CONTINUED FROM PAGE A3 micro managing. Frank allowed me to build a team that would carry out the vision that we had and could make the decisions that needed to be made. We may have lost our leader but we have not lost our vision at the Village of Westchester. Rest assured, the people are still in place to continue to carry out the plans that have been established and keep moving Westchester forward. We will miss his infectious smile and his way of making everybody feel important and that he appreciated everybody’s hard work, but in those times when things are tough and we’re struggling with decisions we can look back at our memories of Frank and I know he will guide us down the right path. These are only a fraction of Frank’s accomplishments. He was a Trustee for the 12 years prior to becoming our Village President and he layed the groundwork for a great future for the Village of Westchester. I would be selling Frank short by talking all about the Village and his recent contributions, he was so much more than our Village President. He was a husband, father, son, cousin and friend to many who will never ever forget him. Those were his true legacies, the relationships he made with each of those people. He made it seem effortless because he made time for everybody. He seemed to have balance in his life that everybody strives for but so few achieve. I will never forget Frank and like everybody else who knew him, I will miss him tremendously. God had another plan for Frank and we will just have to hold onto his memory and be thankful for the time we did have with him. May he rest in peace.