Village of
Westchester OCTOBER, 2020
POLICE DEPARTMENT
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PUBLIC WORKS
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FIRE DEPARTMENT
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LIBRARY
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SCHOOL DISTRICT
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BOY SCOUTS
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FOOD PANTRY
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Westchester Capital Improvement Bond Referendum The Village of Westchester was founded in 1926 and after 94 years, things don’t work as well as they used to. The water mains, pipes, sewers, streets, curbs, street lights, traffic signals, bridges and flood retention systems that make up the basic infrastructure of our village are beginning to exceed their original predicted engineering lifespan and need to be replaced or repaired. Sometimes it’s 20 years, sometimes it’s 50 years and sometimes it’s 75 years, but eventually, the underlying structures that make our village safe and secure need to be renovated or completely reconstructed. Just like an old house, if it is not properly maintained it becomes a health and safety hazard that is ultimately uninhabitable. To address the decline in the aging infrastructure of the Village of Westchester has come up with a comprehensive plan that will address these concerns. The plan will address 3 major areas of our infrastructure: 1-Streets – 95% of our streets will have a “good” or “very good” rating after these projects. 2-Water Main/Sanitary Lines/Residential Flood Mitigation – The water mains in the Village were put in place in some areas of town close to 100 years ago. We need to start replacing or repairing these water mains. The sanitary lines as well will need to be addressed and this plan repairs almost half of the sanitary lines in town. The residential flood mitigation program that the Village has had for years will be funded at a much higher level so that we can encourage residents to take steps to help mitigate flooding. 3 – Alley’s – we have dedicated 10% of this project list to repair and replace our alley ways which have been neglected for many years. This plan will put the Village on a course of proactive maintenance which can be sustained with our current funding levels after the
plan is completed. The cost of the plan would be approximately $42 million which equates to approximately $249 per year for a $250,000 home in Westchester. A capital improvement bond issue question has been placed at the end of the November 3, 2020 Presidential election ballot for Westchester residents to decide whether they want to begin funding the replacement and repair of Westchester’s infrastructure beginning in 2021. The question will read: “Shall bonds in an amount not to exceed $42,000,000 be issued by the Village of Westchester, Cook County, Illinois, for the purpose of paying costs of street, alley, sewer and related improvements throughout the Village and expenses incidental thereto, said bonds bearing interest at a rate not to exceed 5% per annum?” The Village of Westchester cannot by law advocate for or against any bond issue, but instead provides the facts listed above for village residents to make the determination on the merits of the issue. Please take the time to review the list of proposed projects for the usage of the proposed bond funds and make your informed decision by voting on or before November 3rd. If the bond referendum is approved by voters, the Village would act to obtain the lowest possible market interest rate and the bonds would be repaid 20 years from the dates of the issuance of the bonds. Interest rates are at historically low levels which translates into savings for residents. One of the questions many of you may have is what we would get for $42 million. Well we have put together a complete detailed list of all 249 proposed projects to be funded by the bond issue from 2021 through 2025 which is included on the next
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CONTINUED from page 1 page. The Village of Westchester website contains all of this information and more regarding the Comprehensive capital plan and the Village will be holding a series of “Virtual Town Halls” in October so that residents can ask questions and get the information to make an informed decision. One such “Virtual Town Hall” was conducted on September 22nd and it can be viewed on the Village Website. We’ve also created an email address specifically to handle any questions regarding the referendum and capital plan. It is bonds@westchester-il.org The Village will also have story boards, showing the types of projects and plans which will be in the lobby of Village Hall during normal business hours. Stop in and check them out and if you have questions one of our friendly staff members could help you. An interactive map has
been put on the website which will allow you to enter your home address and see what projects will be happening in your area and when, and a calculator which you could use to enter the estimated market value of your home, will show you the approximate annual tax impact on your property tax bill. The Village encourages all of its residents to seek out all of this information so that they can make an educated decision on this very important matter. Record Low Interest Rates Make 2020 The Best Time To Borrow Or Refinance Interest rates on a 30% year mortgage hit a 10 year low in September, 2020, which means homeowners may have a golden opportunity to refinance their home mortgages and new home buyers are in luck. As of September 10, 2020, the average 30% year mortgage rate was 2.86
and the average 15 year mortgage rate was at an astonishing 2.37%. The low interest rates not only benefit homeowners because of their personal financial savings, but also because the current low interest rates allow local government entities to borrow at historically low interest rates as well. States, counties and municipalities who directly borrow
from banks or issue tax exempt municipal bonds to finance capital improvements are seeking to take advantage of low interest rates immediately to pass on the debt interest reduction cost savings to taxpayers. In short, lower rates interest also mean lower property tax rates and lower property taxes.
Village of Westchester Schedule of Public Works Projects to be done with Bond Referendum Grind and Overlay Feet Miles Westchester Blvd - Roosevelt to Expressway 2481 0.47 Drury Ln - Westchester Blvd - Gardner St. 2900 0.56 $ 913,936 Boeger Ave (Roosevelt Rd-Canterbury St) 2651 0.50 Downing Ave (Canterbury St-Oxford St) 1144 0.22 Raleigh St (Boeger Ave-Wellington Ave) 1152 0.22 Lancaster St (Boeger Ave-Wellington Ave ) 1201 0.23 $ 1,112,513 Mandel Ave (Roosevelt Rd-Dickens St) 1328 0.25 Dickens St (Haase Ave-Wolf Rd) 1971 0.37 Mayfair Ave (31st-Canterbury St) 5284 1.00 $ 1,850,479 Canterbury St (Mannheim Rd-Gardner Rd) 3458 0.65 Nelson St (Boeger Ave-Wellington Ave) 1339 0.25 Kingston St (Boeger Ave-Wellington) 1331 0.25 $1,098,705 Boeger Ct (Burns Ave-Cul-de-Sac) 1124 0.21 Kensington Ave (Fleet St-Carlisle St) 1868 0.35 Kensington Ave (Bedford St-31st) 664 0.13 Downing Ave (Wakefield St-Carlisle St) 663 0.13 Downing Ave (Bedford St-31st) 664 0.13 Buckingham Ave (Wakefield St-Carlisle St) 663 0.13 Buckingham Ave (Bedford St-31st) 664 0.13 Newbury (Sunnyside Ave-Fairfield St) 982 0.19 Fairfield St (Sunnyside Ave-Kensington St) 1017 0.19 Plymouth Ave (Lancaster St-Wakefield St) 498 0.09 $ 1,129,995 35047 6.65 $ 6,105,628 Hot in Place ( Resurfacing) Worcester (Devonshire Ln-Kitchner St) 1105 0.21 Gladstone (Westchester Blvd-Suffolk Ave) 1500 0.28 Norfolk (Wedgwood Dr-Roosevelt Rd) 2523 0.48 Portsmouth (Gladstone St-Roosevelt Rd) 1330 0.25 Manchester Ave (Gladstone St-Roosevelt Rd) 1330 0.25 Hull Ave (Gladstone St-Kitchner St) 800 0.15 Manchester Ave (Drury Ln-Canterbury St) 1723 0.33 Norfolk (Canterbury St-Kent St) 700 0.13 Newcastle Ave (Drury Ln-Dickens St) 992 0.19 Hull Ave (Kent St-Canterbury St) 666 0.13 Buckingham Ave (Canterbury St-Dorchester Ave) 2008 0.38 Kensington Ave (Canterbury St-Dorchester Ave) 1999 0.38 Stratford Ave (Canterbury St-Oxford St) 1039 0.20 Haase Ave (Roosevelt Rd-Canterbury St) 2670 0.51 Mandel Ave (Canterbury St-Dickens St) 1326 0.25 High Ridge Pkwy (Roosevelt Rd-Canterbury St) 2654 0.50
Boeger Ave (Cermak Rd-Wakefield St) 3370 0.64 Martindale Dr (Windsor Dr-Windsor Dr) 2905 0.55 Kensington Ave (Cermak Rd-Windsor Dr) 1324 0.25 Sherwood Ave (Boeger Ave-Windsor Dr) 1400 0.27 Stratford Ave (Wakefield St-Cul-de-Sac) 1100 0.21 Wakefield St (Mayfair Ave-Sunnyside Ave) 1335 0.25 $1,100,000 35799 6.78 $ 1,100,000 Street Resurfacing Sunnyside Ave (Canterbury St-Oxford St) 1037 0.20 Sunnyside Ave (Dorchester Ave-Cermak Rd) 400 0.08 Heidorn Ave (Roosevelt Rd-Dickens St) 1323 0.25 Newcastle Ave (Dover St-Bond St) 666 0.13 $ 175,000 Hull Ave (Kitchner St-Cul-de-Sac) 500 0.09 Portsmouth Ave (Wedgwood Dr-Gladstone St) 1193 0.23 Kent St (Westchester Blvd-Norfolk Ave) 1656 0.31 Suffolk Ave (Cermak Rd-Kent St) 1999 0.38 $ 180,000 Newcastle Ave (Cermak Rd-Dover St) 667 0.13 Newcastle Ave (Canterbury St-Bond St) 1331 0.25 Newcastle Ave (Dickens St-Canterbury St) 1333 0.25 Suffolk Ave (Drury Ln-Dickens St) 685 0.13 $ 175,000 Robinhood St (Boeger Ave-Mayfair Ave) 900 0.17 Claridge St (Boeger Ave-Mayfair Ave) 898 0.17 Berkshire St (Boeger Ave-Mayfair Ave) 902 0.17 Hastings St (Boeger Ave-Mayfair Ave) 907 0.17 Hull Ave (Cambridge St-Canterbury St) 2000 0.38 $ 175,000 18397 3.48 $ 705,000 Total Street Reconstruction Suffolk Ave (Canterbury St-Dickens St) 1333 0.25 Portsmouth Ave (Canterbury St-Dickens St) 1333 0.25 $ 1,312,000 Sunnyside Ave (Windsor Dr-Wakefield St) 1992 0.38 Hawthorne Ave (Canterbury St-Dorchester Ave) 2001 0.38 Kitchner St (Westchester Blvd-Worcester Ave) 1007 0.19 $ 2,627,980 Boeger Ave (Canterbury St-Cermak Rd) 2987 0.57 Shaw St (Mandel Ave-Burns Ave) 1389 0.26 Burns Ave (Mandel Ave-Boeger Ave) 1905 0.36 $ 3,156,833 Mandel Ave (Cermak Rd-Canterbury St) 3220 0.61 Shakespeare St (Boeger Ave-Mandel Ave) 1005 0.19 Shelley St (Boeger Ave-Mandel Ave) 1369 0.26 $ 2,798,650 19541 3.70 $ 9,895,463 Microsurfacing Westchester Blvd (Roosevelt Rd-Canterbury St) 2704 0.51
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P olice D e partment
Safeguarding Your Home Protecting your home needs to become a daily consideration, which also gives a homeowner peace of mind? Just a few simple changes can make all the difference in the world from becoming a victim. Just having your address numbers properly displayed with reflective large numbers on your house and garage helps police find your exact location during an emergency and especially at night. Adding proper sensor motion lighting devices that illuminates any major entranceways helps you to see better outside during late hours, but also lets others think you are home and watching them. Now add a few outside cameras, which send direct pictures to your cell phone no matter where you are in the world, with voice activation can really protect your home and get answers fast to what is going on at your house fast. Remember to always lock your doors and windows, especially on your vehicles. Individuals are known to walk the streets late at night checking car doors randomly hoping to find valuable items, or garage door openers to gain entry to homes or garages. Always, lock your car doors and the garage door openers in your glove box to avoid being an easy target. Last on my list never let anyone in your home that you do not know
for any reason, or does not have an appointment through a reputable service provider. Always have a list of contacts on your refrigerator of whom you would like to have contacted by phone in case of an emergency. Sometimes police officers are
POLICE BLOTTER 1) At 9:24pm on August 16, 2020 a Theft from Motor Vehicle was reported on the 700 block of Hull Ave. The resident reported that unknown person(s) removed items from their unlocked vehicle and their credit card was found to be used. 2) At 7:42pm on August 17, 2020 a Criminal Damage to Property was reported on the 10300 block of Chaucer. The resident discovered 3 tires damaged on their vehicle that was parked in front of the house. 3) At 2:59pm on August 23, 2020 a Retail Theft was reported at the Mobil Gas Station located at 1950 Mannheim Road. An off duty Westchester police officer observed a man running from the store being followed by the station attendant. The off duty officer called 9-1-1 and followed the vehicle until patrol vehicles could stop
the offenders. Subjects were taken into custody after determining alcohol was taken from the store. 4) At 1:10am on August 27, 2020 a Criminal Damage to Vehicle was reported on the 10300 block of Canterbury. 2 subjects were observed damaging windows on cars that were parked in the roadway. 5) At 5:16pm on September 3, 2020 a Criminal Damage to Property report was taken at Canterbury and Sunnyside regarding graffiti that was observed on the mailbox. 6) At 6:07pm on September 14, 2020 a Retail Theft was reported at the Jewel Foods located at 2128 Mannheim. Subjects were stopped by patrol officers after having taken 3 bottles of alcohol from the store.
requested to your home for help to render aid and you are not in the proper state of health to give information, or not even on scene. The police department may need to secure your home and we want to make sure we locate the right individuals to secure
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your property and household with the most respect and responsibility of all your assets. I hope that these few tips may help you in protecting your home. Sincerely Chief Daniel Babich
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OCTOBER 2020
PUBLIC WORKS Branch Pick-up
Branch pickup for October will be October 5-9, 2020 Branch pickup for November will be November 2-6, 2020 Please note that this will be the final branch pickup for the year. Branch pickup will resume in April 2021. The Public Works Department will pick up branches the first full week of every month. (April-November) All brush must be put out on the front parkway by 7:00 a.m. on the designated pickup day. Branches can be up to 7 ‘in length and stacked with the butt ends facing the street in the same direction. If not stacked properly, a “restack” notice will be left. Again, please put ALL brush out on
your designated pickup day and Public Works crews will determine what constitutes an open load, which will be picked up later in the week. An open load would include any brush that will not fit through the chipper such as logs, stumps, and large limbs. These must be cut for one man to lift. Dirt must be removed from any root balls for pickup. Public Works Crews will only pass through a designated pickup area once due to time schedule and other workload responsibilities. Landscaping contractors are responsible for their own brush pickup and disposal. Please note the following schedule for branch pickup: MONDAY: From Mannheim Road west to Wolf Road and from Canterbury south to Windsor-including both sides of
Windsor Drive. Also, Waterford, Waverly, Camelot and Concord.
yard waste receptacles are available at the Village Hall.
TUESDAY: Roosevelt Road south to Cermak Road-from Gardner Road west to Mannheim Road.
Pothole Repair The Public Works Department repairs potholes throughout the Village, weather permitting. Please call Public Works at 708-345-0041 to report potholes.
WEDNESDAY: From Roosevelt Road north to the expressway and from Gardner Road west to Mannheim Road. Also, Roosevelt Road south to Canterbury from Haase west to Heidorn. THURSDAY: From Belleview west to Wolf Road, Martindale Drive to 31st Street Remember….. Waste Management will also pick up your branches if they are bundled no more than 4’ in length. These will be picked up on your regular garbage day every week. Free yard waste stickers for reusable
The vac and jet machine will continue to clean out storm sewer inlets, as weather permits. As Always….. Village residents are asked to call Public Works at 708-345-0041 or the Police Non Emergency number after hours at 708345-0060 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.
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L ibrary OCTOBER 2020
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 Cromwell Ave (Devonshire Ln-Kitchner St) 1242 0.24 Evers Ave (Canterbury St-Dickens St) 1330 0.25 Heidorn Ave (Canterbury St-Dickens St) 1326 0.25 Manchester Ave (Cermak Rd-Canterbury St) 2560 0.48 Devonshire St (Gardner Rd-Norfolk Ave) 1002 0.19 Dover St (Westchester Blvd-Suffolk Ave) 1005 0.19 $125,000 Charles St (Wolf Rd-Boeger Ave) 712 0.13 Highridge Ave (Canterbury St-Boeger Ave) 1008 0.19 Heidorn Ave (Canterbury St-Charles St) 876 0.17 Nelson Sq (Boeger Ave-Boeger Ave) 1003 0.19 Wellington Ave (Wakefield St-Nelson St) 1184 0.22 Lancaster St (Wolf Rd-Wellington Ave) 452 0.09 Fleet St (Mayfair Ave-Sunntside Ave) 1364 0.26 Preston St (Kensington Ave-Cul-de-Sac) 2236 0.42 Hull Ave (Gladstone St-The Strand) 1021 0.19 Newcastle Ave (Roosevelt Rd-Wedgwood Dr) 2501 0.47 The Strand (Westchester Blvd-Newcastle Ave) 680 0.13 $ 140,000 Hull Ave (Kent St-Cermak Rd) 1998 0.38 Bond St (Portsmouth Ave-Westchester Blvd) 1008 0.19 Enterprise Dr (Cermak Rd-Constitution Dr) 3294 0.62 Constitution Dr (Wolf Rd-Enterprise Dr) 1400 0.27 Downing Ave (Cermak Rd-Windsor Dr) 1325 0.25 Buckingham Ave (Cermak Rd-Windsor Dr) 1324 0.25 Wakefield St (Wolf Rd-Boeger Ave) 1618 0.31 Oxford St (Mannheim Rd-Mayfair Ave) 2899 0.55 $ 180,000 Essex St (Sunnyside Ave-Hawthorne Ave) 673 0.13 Hawthorne Ave (Windsor Dr-Cul-de-Sac) 1177 0.22 Portsmouth Ave (Drury Ln-Dickens St) 832 0.16 Suffolk Ave (Roosevelt Rd-Gladstone St) 1330 0.25 Norfolk Ave (Drury Ln-Dickens St) 537 0.10 Portsmouth Ave (Canterbury St-Kent St) 666 0.13 Sunnyside Ave (Cermak Rd-Windsor Dr) 1326 0.25 Hawthorne Ave (Cermak Rd-Windsor Dr) 1326 0.25 Norfolk Ave (Canterbury St-Dickens St) 1333 0.25 Gladstone St (Worcester Ave-Dead End) 875 0.17 Devonshire Ln (Mannheim Rd-Cromwell Ave) 718 0.14 $ 155,000 Kitchner St (Westchester Blvd-Suffolk Ave) 1326 0.25 Bristol Ave (Wedgwood Dr-Devonshire St) 1856 0.35 Suffolk Ave (Wedgwood Dr-Gladstone St) 1197 0.23 Municpal Dr (Roosevelt Rd-Deadend) 350 0.07 Portsmouth Ave (Kent St-Cermak Rd) 1999 0.38 Belleview Ave (Cermak Rd-Windsor Dr) 1327 0.25 Stratford Ave (Cermak Rd-Windsor Dr) 1327 0.25 Crestwood Ln (Mannheim Rd-Westchester Blvd) 1001 0.19 $ 125,000 62910 11.91 $ 725,000 Water Main Replacement Boeger Ave - Canterbury - Roosevelt 2651 0.5 $ 1,250,000 Suffolk Ave (Canterbury St-Dickens St) 1333 0.25 Portsmouth Ave (Canterbury St-Dickens St) 1333 0.25 Balmoral Ave (Canterbury St-Roosevelt Rd) 2665 0.50 $ 2,550,000 Sunnyside Ave (Windsor Dr-Wakefield St) 1992 0.38 Hawthorne Ave (Dorchester Ave-Canterbury St) 2001 0.38 $ 2,250,000 Boeger Ave (Canterbury St-Cermak Rd) 2987 0.57 Shaw St (Mandel Ave-Burns Ave) 1389 0.26 Burns Ave (Mandel Ave-Boeger Ave) 1905 0.36 $ 3,250,000 Mandel Ave (Cermak Rd-Canterbury St) 3220 0.61 Shakespeare St (Boeger Ave-Mandel Ave) 1005 0.19 Shelley St (Boeger Ave-Mandel Ave) 1369 0.26 $ 3,300,000 23850 4.51 $ 12,600,000 Sanitary Lining Essex St. - Windsor Dr - Sunnyside 906 0.17 $ 45,000 Lining of 4 Sub basins throughout town 93720 17.75 $ 5,500,000 Suffolk Ave (Canterbury St-Dickens St) 1333 0.25 Portsmouth Ave (Canterbury St-Dickens St) 1333 0.25 Balmoral Ave (Canterbury St-Roosevelt Rd) 2665 0.50 $ 379,800 Sunnyside Ave (Windsor Dr-Wakefield St) 1700 0.32 Kitchner St (Westchester Blvd-Worcester Ave) 700 0.13 $ 241,000 Boeger Ave (Canterbury St-Cermak Rd) 2987 0.57 Shaw St (Mandel Ave-Burns Ave) 1389 0.26 Burns Ave (Mandel Ave-Boeger Ave) 2100 0.40 $ 305,000 Mandel Ave (Cermak Rd-Canterbury St) 3220 0.61 Shakespeare St (Boeger Ave-Mandel Ave) 1005 0.19
Shelley St (Boeger Ave-Mandel Ave) 1369 0.26 $ 215,000 114427 21.67 $ 6,685,800 Alley Resurfacing Cermak Road behind BMO Harris 900 0.17 $ 21,000 Roosevelt Rd (Haase Ave-Evers Ave) 334 0.06 Roosevelt Rd (Evers Ave-Mandel Ave) 334 0.06 Roosevelt Rd (Mandel Ave-Highridge Ave) 334 0.06 Roosevelt Rd (Highridge Ave-Boeger Ave) 334 0.06 Roosevelt Rd (Boeger Ave-Heidorn Ave) 334 0.06 $ 52,000 2570 0.49 $ 73,000 Alley Reconstruction Norfolk/Suffolk (Wedgwood Dr-Kitchner St) 300 0.06 Norfolk/Suffolk (Kitchner St-Gladstone St) 562 0.11 Manchester/Norfolk (Wedgwood Dr-Kitchner St) 527 0.10 Manchester/Norfolk (Kitchner St-Gladstone St) 665 0.13 Westchester Blvd/Hull Ave (Wedgwood Dr-Kitchner St) 497 0.09 $ 976,508 Cromwell Ave /Balmoral Ave (Expressway-Kitchner St) 164 0.03 Westchester Blvd/Hull Ave (Gladstone St-Devonshire St) 665 0.13 Westchester Blvd/Hull Ave (Devonshire St-The Strand) 289 0.05 Westchester Blvd/Hull Ave (The Strand-Railroad Tracks) 171 0.03 Roosevelt Rd (Newcastle Ave-Portsmouth Ave) 332 0.06 Roosevelt Rd (Suffolk Ave-Portsmouth Ave) 332 0.06 Roosevelt Rd (Manchester Ave-Bristol Ave) 332 0.06 Roosevelt Rd (Bristol Ave-Gardner Rd) 332 0.06 Manchester Ave/Bristol Ave (Devonshire St-Alley) 327 0.06 Bristol Ave/Gardner Rd (Devonshire-Alley) 173 0.03 $ 1,217,360 Norfolk Ave/Manchester Ave (Gladstone St-Devonshire St) 666 0.13 Norfolk Ave/Manchester Ave (Devonshire St-Alley) 496 0.09 Roosevelt Rd (Norfolk Ave-Manchester Ave) 334 0.06 Cermak Rd (Newcastle Ave -Portsmouth Ave) 332 0.06 Cermak Rd (Portsmouth Ave-Suffolk Ave) 332 0.06 Hull Ave/Newcastle Ave (Dickens St-Chaucer St) 667 0.13 Newcastle Ave/Portsmouth Ave (Dickens St-Chaucer St) 667 0.13 $ 1,350,010 Roosevelt Rd (Westchester Blvd-Railroad) 626 0.12 Roosevelt Rd (Pelham St-Deadend) 164 0.03 31St (Sunnside Ave-Buckingham Ave) 333 0.06 31st (Downing Ave-Kensington Ave) 333 0.06 31st (Kensington Ave-Mayfair Ave) 333 0.06 Downing Ave/Kensington Ave(Bedford St-Deadend) 383 0.07 $ 859,940 11334 2.15 $ 4,403,818 Storm sewer lining Essex St. - Windsor Dr - Sunnyside 906 0.17 $ 55,000 Suffolk Ave (Canterbury St-Dickens St) 1333 0.25 Portsmouth Ave (Canterbury St-Dickens St) 1333 0.25 Balmoral Ave (Canterbury St-Roosevelt Rd) 2665 0.50 $ 556,000 Sunnyside Ave (Windsor Dr-Wakefield St) 1992 0.38 Hawthorne Ave (Canterbury St-Dorchester Ave) 2001 0.38 Kitchner St (Westchester Blvd-Worcester Ave) 750 0.14 $ 265,000 Shaw St (Mandel Ave-Burns Ave) 1100 0.21 Burns Ave (Mandel Ave-Boeger Ave) 1905 0.36 $ 215,000 Mandel Ave (Cermak Rd-Canterbury St) 3220 0.61 Shakespeare St (Boeger Ave-Mandel Ave) 1005 0.19 Shelley St (Boeger Ave-Mandel Ave) 1369 0.26 $ 340,000 19579 3.71 $ 1,431,000
Water Mitigation Funding $ 500,000 $ 500,000 Wedgwood Drive Bridge $ 300,000 $ 300,000 $ 44,524,70 $ 44,524,709
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Boy Scout Troop #73 News
Boy Scout Troop #73 has been adjusting to the new normal of holding events and meetings all while still social distancing and being safe. Recently, the Troop held an outdoor Court of Honor in the Westchester Community Church parking lot, where they welcomed eight new Boy Scouts to the Troop. The new scouts are Christian Cermak, Evan Peneschi, Julian Meyer, Noah Glinke, Tommy Newhouse, Vicente Salgado, Weston Sjostrom and Payton Grant- Duda. During this Court of Honor, Jimmy Milas, who had served the Troop as Senior Patrol for 4 years, passed the torch on to fellow Scout Matt Henning. The Troop has also held weekly outdoor meetings, where they have been working on earning rank, completing requirements for the Physical Fitness and Painting Merit Badges and learned how to make portable light poles to assist with holding their meetings outside. They also went on an 8-mile hike from Westchester Community Church to the Brookfield Zoo as part of their rank requirements. Along the way, they identified plants, animal tracks and picked up garbage to also assist with their Scout requirements. Our annual Scouting Food Drive will take place Saturday, October 24th. Scouts will be collecting non-perishable food, used eyeglasses and old US Flags. Anyone that would like to donate to the food drive should put their filled bags on their front porch by 9:00am. and a Scout will be by to pick up the donations. If your bag has not been picked up by 12:00 noon, please email us at: cspack73@gmail.com. Food contributions will be distributed to Westchester area food pantries, including the Westchester Food Pantry and St. Vincent De Paul. Used eyeglasses will be distributed by Lions Club International to people in developing countries. Old US flags will be respectfully retired by the Boy Scouts of Troop #73. The Troop currently has two fall fundraisers underway. They are selling Vermont Center fresh cut wreaths and swags for the upcoming holiday season. Deadline for ordering is October 13th. The Troop will also be holding their annual Rake-a-Thon on the weekend of November 7th and 8th. For a $25 donation, Westchester residents can have up to 6 bags or containers raked. Each additional bag or container is $5. Residents need to provide Scouts with containers or leaf bags. For more information regarding wreaths or to make a reservation for raking leaves please call 708-562-7807.
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CALENDAR Thursday, October 22: The Field Museum’s Chief Curiosity Correspondent, Emily Graslie, at 7:00 PM via Zoom video-conferencing. Registration required. Contact Youth Dept for more information at (708) 562-3573.
Thursday, October 29: Mystery & Horror- the Golden Age of Radio, at 7:00 PM via Zoom video-conferencing. Registration required. Contact Adult Dept for more information at askus@ westchesterpl.org.
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Westchester Food Pantry sees highest need ever Westchester Food Pantry Announces Capital Campaign When the pandemic and a shelter-in-place order forced businesses to close throughout the State in March, pantries across Illinois were deemed essential by Governor Pritzker. However, about 1/3rd of the food pantries in Cook County closed due to lack of volunteers and resources. The Westchester Food Pantry stayed strong and remained open — we went from bustling to bursting as we saw an influx of new clients needing our help. Since the middle of March, need has increased by 60% in our service area. We are so grateful to our volunteers, existing and new, that continued to come in during this very trying time. The Pantry is run entirely by volunteers, and we are fortunate so many stepped up to make sure we could meet the need of the surge in clients. We are also grateful to the many donors that opened up their wallets during this time to make sure our clients were provided with enough food that they desperately need and will continue to need. Since mid-March, we’ve distributed 70 tons of food, which equates to nearly 120,000 meals. Now, the Pantry itself faces another big challenge. After nearly 20 years in the Village Hall, we need a new home. As many Westchesterians already know, the Village is planning on moving the Village Hall, Police Department and Public Works to another Westchester location. The Westchester Food Pantry is not part of this move. We have until the end of February 2021 to find a new location. A few months ago, the Pantry’s Board of Directors assembled a task force to look for a new home. We are open to sharing and leasing space, at a fair price, with a place of worship, school or other entity. However, we are a member agency of the Greater Chicago Food Depository and there are several site specifications that must be met. So far, we have not had any luck finding an organization that will take us in, but we will continue searching. We have also been looking at a few commercial properties in Westchester. This would allow us the freedom to set our own hours and days of service and give us the dedicated space we definitely need. It would also greatly benefit the clients we serve and lessen the load of work for many of our volunteers. Besides this being the more costly
option, initially and on-going, acquiring a commercial property comes with a unique hurdle; basically, the Village would have to approve the rezoning of a desired property as “special use” to allow food pantry operations. More information on this will be forthcoming, should we go this route. Whether we lease or purchase space, one thing is certain: we must fundraise to keep the Pantry open beyond February 2021. We have a capital campaign goal of $50,000. Can you help? By making a donation and connecting us to potential space, you can ensure that the Pantry can continue the valuable work of feeding our neighbors in need. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. You can make a secure donation online through our website (WestchesterFoodPantry. org) or mail a check to the Westchester Food Pantry, 10300 Roosevelt Road, Westchester IL 60154. As we move forward, it is support from our community that will keep the Pantry alive. We want to remain in Westchester. It is our home. The Pantry is a great asset of the Village of Westchester that you cannot put a value on. For over 25 years, we have been here for our neighbors in need. Now more than ever before, we need our neighbors to be here for us. Help us keep our doors open, so that we can continue to serve our community. Together, we make a difference!
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OCTOBER 2020
The Pantry continues with help from friends and fans The pandemic and its effects have been horrible: loss of jobs, lives and health have taken a toll on so many. The Westchester Food Pantry has continued to serve our neighbors in need during this difficult time, and we’ve done so with the help of our friends and fans. We appreciate our volunteers and donors, new and existing, who have stepped up to make sure we can continue our mission of serving those who are food insecure and hungry in our community. Here are some examples of the incredible support we’ve received: • Sports writer Dan Hayes auctioned off several baseball cards and donated the proceeds to the Pantry. This was done via Twitter. • Fitness instructors Heather McCarthy and Mary Elizabeth Kennedy donated proceeds from zoom classes and tshirt sales. • Photographers Mike Eck (a Westchester resident) and Jennifer Catherine donated their time and talents to our Front Porch Project, which was a huge success! • Elizabeth Lupitini sold homemade masks and donated the proceeds to our Pantry. • Westchester residents John Plepel and Melissa Myer created an online trivia game to provide fun for participants and money for our Pantry. • Local businesses and organizations created matching gifts, including Joyfully Crafting and the Westchester Church of Latter Day Saints. • Even children got involved—local kids donated their Christmas money, organized food drives and had lemonade stands to help support the Pantry. • Westchester Middle School, Westchester Intermediate School, Divine Providence School and District 100 in Western Springs all held food drives in the spring for the Pantry. • Hundreds of masks for clients were donated by LCH Creations and the Chinese American Civic Association. • When libraries and other food dropoff locations temporarily closed their doors, three new locations stepped in! Larry and Nicki Vaillancourt (Westchester) and Deb Baker (Western Springs) volunteered their homes as drop-off locations, as did the Immanuel Lutheran Church and School (Hillside). • The drop-off location at the Vaillancourt’s home inspired their postal carrier, Miss Christine, to organize a food drive for the Pantry among her fellow USPS workers! • For our annual Yard Sale Extravaganza, generously hosted by the Westchester Community Church, over 10,000 items were donated, and volunteers spent hundreds of hours sorting, pricing and selling the merchandise. Thanks
to everyone who supported this fundraising event! These amazing acts of kindness, combined with individual and organization donations, have kept our Pantry afloat during this pandemic. By helping us, volunteers and donors
help our neighbors in need. The Westchester Food Pantry is run entirely by volunteers and relies completely on donations of food and funds to operate. Every item donated and every dollar raised goes directly to our mission of ending hunger in our service area. If you’d
like to get involved, please check our website for information and volunteer opportunities (WestchesterFoodPantry. org). With your support, the Pantry will continue to make a difference for those who need help in our community. Thank you!
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