6 minute read

The 2021 Water Quality Data

from Village of Westchester June 2022 Newsletter

by Village of Westchester, IL

from Village of Westchester June 2022 Newsletter, page 3

The vac and jet machine will be

4 JUNE 2022

Summer Safety Tips

Summer is here, the weather is finally getting hotter, and more people will be out enjoying the weather and our parks. Always remember to slow down when driving and watch out for children in the area especially on side streets. When you are mobile always, remember to teach your children to lock up their bikes with a high quality lock and chain or any other property while playing in the parks. When traveling always make sure, you lock your vehicle doors and do not leave pets in your vehicles while out shopping. Use the trunk of your vehicle to lock important items and not left in plain sight in your vehicle. Please do not leave garage doors or front doors open when not home for any length of time to run short errands? Always remember to watch out for your neighbors especially when unknown strangers are at their door, mail left in the mailbox for long periods, or they have not been seen for days.

In closing, please take the time to know your neighbors it truly helps when we are all united and looking out for each other!

Chief Daniel Babich Westchester Police Department

POLICE BLOTTER

1 At 7:16pm on April 15, 2022 a Criminal Damage to Property was reported on the 11100 block of Boeger Court. A resident reported unknown person(s) spray painted the front door and side doorbell.

2) At 5:18pm on April 25, 2022 a Criminal Damage to Property was reported on the 10500 Block of Dorchester. A resident reported that their fence was damaged.

3) At 11:55 am on April 22, 2022 a Retail Theft was reported at the Jewel Foods located at 2128 Mannheim Road. Store staff reported that several people left the store together taking over $500.00 in liquor.

4) At 8:17pm on April 29, 2022 a Criminal Damage to Property was reported on the 1900 block of Downing. A resident reported unknown person(s) threw rocks at a window and were last seen running from the front of the house.

5) At 3:57pm on May 7, 2022 a Retail Theft was reported at the shell gas station located at 1950 Mannheim Road. The store clerk reported that a subject left the store without paying for liquor. The subject was located and taken into custody.

6) At 1:19pm on May 17, 2022 a Theft from Vehicle was reported at the Westbrook Corporate Center parking lot. A vehicle owner reported that unknown person(s) removed their catalytic converter while it was parked in the parking lot.

Build a healthier garden with natives

BY DIANE SCOTT GROW Commissioner

Maybe you’ve wanted to add some plants to your garden to attract birds and butterflies. Maybe you’ve read that native plants require less maintenance. Maybe you are tired of the work, expense, watering, and poisonous chemicals used to maintain a turf lawn.

“In the past, we have asked one thing of our gardens: that they be pretty,” says author and entomologist Doug Tallamy. “Now they have to support life, sequester carbon, feed pollinators and manage water.”

What is a native plant?

Native plants are adapted to the local climate and soil conditions where they naturally occur. They provide nectar, pollen, and seeds that serve as food for native butterflies, insects, birds and other animals (US Forest Service). Native plants have deep root systems that often require less water and can help with flooding and erosion. They do not need soil amendments, fertilizers or pesticides. They sequester carbon, which helps clean our air.

Where do I start?

Doug Tallamy suggests on his website (see links at end) that anyone can start a native garden in their yard by replacing even a small patch of lawn. (His goal is to get people to convert half of their lawn to native plants, an area of 20 million acres that he calls a “Homegrown National Park.) .In areas with zoning codes that still favor the manicured lawn, you still have plenty of options to incorporate natives that will not look “messy” and will add to the biodiversity of your yard. Natives can be as wild as a prairie or as controlled as a container garden, but in either case, they will allow you to be a more caring steward of the earth.

Like any garden, it’s best to do a little planning. Choose species based on the soil, light, and water conditions of the site and for the size, shape, texture, and color you desire. West Cook Wild Ones is a great local resource that can guide you through the array of groundcovers, sedge grasses, flowers, bushes and trees. They hold spring flower and fall tree and shrub sales, host talks and webinars, and their website is full of helpful articles such as “Getting Started with a Native Garden” and “Suggested Prairie Plants for Full Sun.” There are also links to garden design and upkeep, small plant nurseries where you can buy natives, and landscapers.

The University of Illinois Extension Service has a wealth of videos, articles and programs on native trees and shrubs, general gardening tips, and a section on energy and environment. They also offer the Conservation@Home program in partnership with the Forest Preserve District of Cook County that recognizes and certifies properties that demonstrate environmentally sound landscape practices. Through their certification program, residents can shape their private and community landscapes in a conservation-minded way with guidance and criteria provided for them.

Native inspiration in Westchester

Did you know residents voted the coneflower the official plant of Westchester in 2019? Bethany Alexander, head of the local Grassroots Garden Group, notes that the group will be adding more coneflowers in the areas around the official Westchester signs along the roads, as well as in the gazebo fountain gardens that the group maintains. She also noted that one garden on their July 23rd Garden Walk this year has an area dedicated to native plants.

The Wolf Road Prairie at Wolf Road and 31st contains more than 360 species of plants on prairie, savanna and wetland. See natives you may not see anywhere else in Illinois on the trail, or check out the native garden in front of the historic Franzosenbusch House. Volunteers often work Saturdays from 1-3, or watch the website for guided walks and events.

The Westchester Public Library is a model of sustainability in so many ways, from its semi-porous pavers in the parking lot to its native plant and pollinator gardens. But in the next few weeks they are converting 2,500 square feet on the west side of the building to an all-native prairie, with an official ribboncutting on Thursday, June 16, at 12:30pm.

Natives outside of our yards

Many towns, schools, parks, libraries and businesses have expanses of turf grass that could be converted to native plants. The Conservation@Home program is open not only to residents but schools, churches and businesses. Openlands offers yearly matching grants of up to $10,000 to groups, schools, park districts and municipalities for a variety of projects, which have included pollinator parkways in River Forest and pollinator gardens in Countryside. We need to revise our thinking (and our ordinances) so that a yard with less lawn, groundcover under our trees, and a road lined with native wildflowers becomes the evidence of a community that cares for the earth.