VILLAGE PRESIDENT, ROBERT “BOB” KOLOSH Village of Thornton Newsletter Village Hall 115 E Margaret Street Thornton, Illinois 60476 Phone (708) 877-4456 Fax (708) 877-4458 www.thornton60476.com Hours Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 12pm VILLAGE PRESIDENT Robert “Bob” Kolosh VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR Doug Beckman CLERK/COLLECTOR Debbie Pisarzewski DEPUTY CLERK Patti Ott VILLAGE ATTORNEY Scott Dillner VILLAGE TREASURER Arlette Frye VILLAGE ENGINEER James Hus Robinson Engineering BOARD OF TRUSTEES Ernest “Bo” Kaye 630-217-3968 Kim Atkinson 877-1097 Joseph Pisarzewski 877-8988 David Hudson 877-6598 Debra Paris 847-471-8357 Maxine Reynolds 877-2520 Visit us at www.thornton60476.com Meetings are open to the public. Village Committee Meetings are held on the first and third Mon- days of every month at 7:00pm. Village Board Meetings are imme- diately following at 7:30pm. The Planning and Development Commission Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month at 7:00pm. FEBRUARY 2018 Happy New Year to all of our residents and business owners. Let us continue the great successes of our entire Village for all of 2018. We have experienced many extremely cold days, some minor accumulation of snow, some unexpected 40 and 50 degree days all within the first part of winter. Thank you to our Public Works Dept. for a job well done in keeping our streets as safe as possible. Our Fire Dept. is continuing to provide the winter driveway program to our seniors and disabled residents. We now have over 100 residents signed up for this program. I would like to recognize Village Staff our local businesses and the entire Holiday Happenings Committee for a great Holiday Happenings Weekend filled with numerous activities and events. The participation at our Friday night Christmas tree lighting and Candy Cane Hunt has grown annually. It was exciting to see the children and parents welcome Santa as he arrived on the Fire truck and participate in the official tree lighting countdown, and singing of Christmas songs. To finish off a great night, all were invited to the Fire Station for hot chocolate, cookies, and a visit with Santa. As I have done the past number of February newsletters, I would like to highlight major improvements and activities that have occurred in the past year. 1. Approximately 2000 feet of water main replacement and re-surfacing. 2. Roof replacement on the North Pump House. 3. Co-hosted South Suburban Mayors and Managers Dinner Meeting with the Village of Glenwood. 4. Held our annual Youth Night, recognizing the students of Wolcott. 5. Awarded a 50% Com Ed Stryker Power Cot grant for our 2 nd ambulance. 6. Held our 3 rd annual Veterans Memorial Day Breakfast at Jimbooo’s 7. Celebrated our annual Memorial Day Parade and 4 th of July Fireworks. 8. Completed the transfer to our new Police and Fire Dispatch center- E-Com. 9. Attended Flo-Pak International 50 th Year Anniversary. 10. Received grant from Com Ed to replace all of our Com Ed street lighting. 11. Approved Energy Project funding for new Village Hall/Library roof, including heating and air equipment. Also replaced all Village owned buildings and street lights with new LED lighting. 12. Purchased 2 new SUV’s for our Police Dept. 13. Approved the new Downtown TIF #3. 14. Awarded a Comprehensive Plan Grant from CMAP. 15. Repainted and re-certified our Fire Dept. ladder truck. 16. Eliminated Village Vehicle Stickers, effective for May 1, 2018. 17. Amended Home Rule Sales Tax. Increases ½% to replace vehicle stickers. 18. Commenced the 2018 statewide Bi-centennial celebration with the IL flag raising ceremony. 19. Celebrated the official Production Opening of the Soltis Family Distillery. 20. Completed the purchase of land on Margaret Street and Williams Street. 21. Continued talks with neighboring communities on establishing a new Southland Water Commission These 2017 accomplishments and activities continue the great progress the Village of Thornton has made the past few years. I would like to extend my gratitude to our staff, from our elected officials, Administrator, Dept. Heads and their staff, committee members, and volunteers for continuing to improve our community for all of our residents. Let’s strive to also make 2018 another successful year. Finally, the next Mayor’s Meet and Greet will be held Sat. March 3 rd 9am-10:30am at the Soltis Distillery 400 E. Margaret St. I would like to thank the Soltis Family for hosting. It will be a great opportunity for all who come to also tour this Historical building and business. Best to all, Bob
Transcript
VILLAGE PRESIDENT, ROBERT “BOB” KOLOSH
Village of Thornton Newsletter
Village Hall
115 E Margaret Street Thornton, Illinois 60476 Phone (708) 877-4456
Fax (708) 877-4458
www.thornton60476.com
Hours Monday - Friday
9am - 5pm Saturday
9am - 12pm
VILLAGE PRESIDENT Robert “Bob” Kolosh
VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR Doug Beckman
CLERK/COLLECTOR Debbie Pisarzewski
DEPUTY CLERK
Patti Ott
VILLAGE ATTORNEY Scott Dillner
VILLAGE TREASURER Arlette Frye
VILLAGE ENGINEER James Hus
Robinson Engineering
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Ernest “Bo” Kaye
630-217-3968
Kim Atkinson 877-1097
Joseph Pisarzewski 877-8988
David Hudson 877-6598
Debra Paris 847-471-8357
Maxine Reynolds 877-2520
Visit us at www.thornton60476.com Meetings are open to the public.
Village Committee Meetings are
held on the first and third Mon-
days of every month at 7:00pm.
Village Board Meetings are imme-
diately following at 7:30pm.
The Planning and Development
Commission Meetings are held on
the second Wednesday of the
month at 7:00pm.
FEBRUARY 2018
Happy New Year to all of our residents and business owners. Let us continue the great successes of our entire Village for all of 2018. We have experienced many extremely cold days, some minor accumulation of snow, some unexpected 40 and 50 degree days all within the first part of winter. Thank you to our Public Works Dept. for a job well done in keeping our streets as safe as possible. Our Fire Dept. is continuing to provide the winter driveway program to our seniors and disabled residents. We now have over 100 residents signed up for this program.
I would like to recognize Village Staff our local businesses and the entire Holiday Happenings Committee for a great Holiday Happenings Weekend filled with numerous activities and events. The participation at our Friday night Christmas tree lighting and Candy Cane Hunt has grown annually. It was exciting to see the children and parents welcome Santa as he arrived on the Fire truck and participate in the official tree lighting countdown, and singing of Christmas songs. To finish off a great night, all were invited to the Fire Station for hot chocolate, cookies, and a visit with Santa.
As I have done the past number of February newsletters, I would like to highlight major improvements and activities that have occurred in the past year.
1. Approximately 2000 feet of water main replacement and re-surfacing. 2. Roof replacement on the North Pump House. 3. Co-hosted South Suburban Mayors and Managers Dinner Meeting with the Village of
Glenwood. 4. Held our annual Youth Night, recognizing the students of Wolcott. 5. Awarded a 50% Com Ed Stryker Power Cot grant for our 2nd ambulance. 6. Held our 3rd annual Veterans Memorial Day Breakfast at Jimbooo’s 7. Celebrated our annual Memorial Day Parade and 4th of July Fireworks. 8. Completed the transfer to our new Police and Fire Dispatch center- E-Com. 9. Attended Flo-Pak International 50th Year Anniversary. 10. Received grant from Com Ed to replace all of our Com Ed street lighting. 11. Approved Energy Project funding for new Village Hall/Library roof, including heating
and air equipment. Also replaced all Village owned buildings and street lights with new LED lighting.
12. Purchased 2 new SUV’s for our Police Dept. 13. Approved the new Downtown TIF #3. 14. Awarded a Comprehensive Plan Grant from CMAP. 15. Repainted and re-certified our Fire Dept. ladder truck. 16. Eliminated Village Vehicle Stickers, effective for May 1, 2018. 17. Amended Home Rule Sales Tax. Increases ½% to replace vehicle stickers. 18. Commenced the 2018 statewide Bi-centennial celebration with the IL flag raising
ceremony. 19. Celebrated the official Production Opening of the Soltis Family Distillery. 20. Completed the purchase of land on Margaret Street and Williams Street. 21. Continued talks with neighboring communities on establishing a new Southland
Water Commission
These 2017 accomplishments and activities continue the great progress the Village of Thornton has made the past few years. I would like to extend my gratitude to our staff, from our elected officials, Administrator, Dept. Heads and their staff, committee members, and volunteers for continuing to improve our community for all of our residents. Let’s strive to also make 2018 another successful year.
Finally, the next Mayor’s Meet and Greet will be held Sat. March 3rd 9am-10:30am at the Soltis Distillery 400 E. Margaret St. I would like to thank the Soltis Family for hosting. It will be a great opportunity for all who come to also tour this Historical building and business.
CXR Train Tracks – My office has been getting quite a few calls about the train tracks on Ridge Road on the west side of the quarry. Recently, Mayor Kolosh was able to contact the Regional Vice President of CSX, and we have good news. He informed us that Thornton is first up and they are waiting for a window of weather to do the work needed to fix the tracks; and it will happen in the earlier part of their construction cycle. The mayor promises to stay in touch with this gentleman until the work is done. So there is hope!!!
Reservoir – Another complaint I have been hearing about is the “aroma” that has been present in the air throughout Thornton due to the reservoir. Please, please, please, call MWRD at 773-256-3543. Since the complaints to them have lessened dramatically, they feel they are
handling the problem. Of course, I bet none of them actually live here!!
Gubernatorial Primary Election Day – This election is March 20; and as a Thornton resident you will either vote at the Village Hall or the Community Center. The last day to register to vote in this election is February 20. You can register, or change your registration, at the Village Hall, 115 East Margaret Street.
Village Hall Closed – The Village Hall will be closed on February 19 for Presidents Day; so the Village Board meeting will be changed to Tuesday, February 20 at 7:00 p.m. Village Hall will also be closed on Good Friday, March 30.
Village Wide Garage Sale – Hopefully, it will warm up enough to have our Village Wide Garage Sale on Saturday, May 19. Let’s all pray for sun since I have a tendency to pick rainy days.
Take care and be safe . . .
Debbie and Patti
WATER BILLS
The Clerk’s office mails water bills to EVERY Thornton residence/business on the 15th of every odd month. Please see the schedule below. Remember, if you do not receive your mailed bill, it is still due on the 5th. You can call the clerk’s office to get your water ac-count balance anytime.
ISSUED DUE January 15 February 5 March 15 April 5 May 15 June 5 July 15 August 5 September 15 October 5 November 15 December 5
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COMMUNITY
TAX LEVY
The Village will again experience many increased costs that are
contractual in nature such as yearly increases in our garbage collection
and some salaries and benefits. Others are based on internal and external factors such as health
insurance costs which the Village experienced a 17% increase this
past September. Revenue sources are difficult to project with the
constant tensions at the State and Federal levels of government which
have a direct impact on our community.
Despite these circumstances, the Village Board voted for a very conservative increase to the property tax levy of 0.96%.
VILLAGE BOARD APPROVALS
Current Board Members:
Mayor Bob Kolosh, Trustee Joe Pisarzewski, Trustee Kim Atkinson, Trustee Bo Kaye, Trustee Dave Hudson, Trustee Debra Paris, Trustee Maxine Reynolds.
The Board reviews and approves the Village’s vouchers (bills to be paid) and previous meeting minutes every meeting. The Board also approved the following actions from Oct –Dec 2017:
$10,000 Downtown TIF redevelopment agreement with Loyola 88 for code upgrades for a new business.
Passed a .96% increase to the property tax levy.
Purchased a 2nd new vehicle for the police department this fiscal year.
Occasionally, just like in every other community, Thornton has a rash of car break-ins. This is when an unknown offender or offenders walk around a three or four block area and test cars to see if they are unlocked. When a car is found unlocked it is quickly rummaged through for money or other small sellable items. Our patrol officers do a very good job of making sure the Village remains a safe place to live, but they can’t do it alone. Here are some things homeowners can do to help out: Lock doors on houses and garages and make sure personal items (bikes, skateboards, sports
equipment, etc.) are not left out. Lock the doors on all vehicles. Items like GPS’s and IPASS’s should be taken in for the night
or locked in a glove box. Don’t leave items on the dashboard or center console that would make it attractive for a burglar to break in to.
Leave outside porch and garage lights on at night as criminals usually avoid well-lit places.
Don’t advertise on social places like Facebook that you’ll be going out of town as the information can be passed from people you know to people you don’t.
Most importantly, if you see something that looks out of the ordinary – CALL. Although our officers try to cover as much of the Village during their shift, they can’t be everywhere at once.
SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS BY DESIGN C.P.T.E.D. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Learn about C.P.T.E.D. principles that you can adopt at your home, workplace or neighborhood to improve safety and walkability.
FREE Evaluation of your residence or business
Crime Prevention Tips
Discuss your concerns about the neighborhood
Contact the Thornton Police Department 708-877-4440 to schedule an appointment at your convenience with Certified C.P.T.E.D. Officer Paul Moran.
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TRECREATION & COMMUNITY CENTER
Hours
Mon - Thu 9am - 8pm
Fri 9am - 10pm
Saturday 9am - 1pm
FREE PROGRAMS
Play Pals every Tue 9-11:30am ages 0-4
Pinochle every Thu 1:00pm
Hand & Foot every Fri 5:00pm
Alcoholics Anonymous
Senior Fitness Center (65+)
Scout Meetings
PARKS AND GROUNDS
Charles P Nason Park, Highland Avenue
Walter Diekelman Park N Kinzie Street
Marian Mikrut Memorial Park, Pawnee Drive
Hubbard Park, 102 N Hubbard Street
Skate Park, Park Avenue
Memorial Park NW corner of Williams and Eleanor Street
COMMUNITY SERVICES
K-9 Training Academy
T.O.P.S.
Recycling
Party, Conference Room, Field and Pavilion Rentals
Table and Chair Rentals
Sharlee Dunlop, Director of Parks and Recreation Amy Potwin, Assistant Director
The Village of Thornton Memorial Brick Program is a great way to honor a loved one that has passed by engraving a brick with their name or a brief message. Brick requests may be made all year however brick placement will take place only twice per year; Spring (mid- May) and Fall (mid- October). The standard 4″ x 8″ brick is attractively en-graved with your message and then placed alongside other commemorative bricks in the Memorial Park Patio at the corner of Williams and Eleanor. Each brick cost $75.00 and in-cludes three lines of content. Each line only allows for 16 characters. That includes spaces, and other punctuation. This project will begin in spring 2018!
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THORNTON FIRE DEPARTMENT
David Habecker, Fire Chief Art Schweitzer, Deputy Fire Chief
Tom Stengenga, Assistant Fire Chief
115 E Margaret Street (708) 877-4459 Non-Emergency
(708) 877-1506 Fax
Winter is here! Did you know that most winter fires in residential settings occur mainly in the early evening between 5 and 8p.m.? Most residential fires are caused by cooking which we do in our homes all year long. But the second leading cause of fires in winter is heating equipment.
FURNACE HEATING Be sure all furnace controls and emergency shutoffs are in proper work-ing condition.
Leave furnace repairs to qualified specialists.
Inspect the wall and ceiling near the furnace along the chimney line. If the wall is hot or discolored additional pipe insulation or clearance may be required.
Check the flue pipe and pipe seams. Are they well supported, free of holes and cracks? Soot along or around seams may be an indicator of a leak.
Is the chimney solid, with cracks or loose bricks? All unused flue open-ings should be sealed with solid masonry.
Keep trash and other combustibles away from the heating system.
OTHER FIRE SAFETY TIPS Never use a range or an oven as a supplemental heating device. Not only is it a safety haz-
ard, it can be a source of potentially toxic fumes. If you use an electric heater, be sure not to overload the circuit. Only use extension cords
which have the necessary rating to carry the amp load. TIP: Choose an extension cord the same size or larger than the appliance electrical cord.
If there is a fire hydrant near your home you can assist the fire department by keeping the hydrant clear of snow so in the event it is needed, it can be located.
FINALLY…
Be sure every level of your home has a working smoke alarm, and be sure to check and clean it on a monthly basis.
Be sure your home has working CO detectors outside of sleeping areas.
Plan and practice a home escape plan with your family.
Feel free to contact the Thornton Fire Department for advice if you have a question on Home Fire Safety.
Maintenance tech is on call 24 hours, 7 days a week.
(708) 877-4462 (708) 877-1627 Fax
* * * VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE * * * BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2018, IF A RED TAG IS TAPED TO YOUR DOOR SHOWING A PAST DUE WATER BILL, THERE WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE A $75 ADDITIONAL CHARGE PLACED ON YOUR ACCOUNT. AL-SO, IF YOUR WATER IS SHUT OFF FOR NON-PAYMENT, THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE OF $150
TO TURN YOUR WATER BACK ON.
This change does not affect most of our residents. But if you typically receive a red tag on your door, please pay your water bill before this happens; or contact the clerk’s office if there is a problem.
LED UPGRADES
The Village has completed its comprehensive energy upgrade project with Energy System Group. Part of this scope of work included:
Converting all Village owned streetlights from high pressure sodium to LED fixtures.
Upgrading all light fixtures inside and out to LED at Village Hall, Police Department, Fire Department, Recreation Center and the Historical Society building.
These upgrades will reduce our annual energy and maintenance costs.
When looking for an LED bulb that is comparable in brightness to the incandescent bulb you are replacing refer to this chart by ComEd.
YARD WASTE REMINDER
Tri-State Disposal will resume yard waste pick-up the first week of April. This service will continue through the end of November. Please keep in mind that all yard waste cans must be marked with yard waste stickers. These are available in the Village Hall at the Clerk’s Office.
Incandescent Bulb
Watts
Light Output
Lumens
LED Bulb
Watts
Annual Savings
LED
Lifetime savings
LED
40 450 4-7 Up to $5.30 Up to $169
60 800 6-11 Up to $7.94 Up to $253
75 1100 10-13 Up to $9.56 Up to $305
100 1600 11-18 Up to $13.10 Up to $428
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BULK RATE
U.S. Postage
P A I D
Thornton, IL
60476
Permit No. 8
POSTAL CUSTOMER
THORNTON, ILLINOIS 60476
Motor Oil? Tires? Old TV? Go to www.earth911.com
Find out where to take your “hard to recycle” items!
