EWSLETTER FROM THE V ILLAGE OF S OUTH H OLLA N D · PDF file10K – 5KMarovich & Lapp,...

S o u t h H o l l a n d

T O D A Y Newsletter from the Village of south hollaNd JuNe / July 2013

Cardinal George ................ 4

Student Government ........ 8

Public Safety .................... 10

Vision 2022 Progress ....... 14

InsIde

independence day in South holland

South Holland TODAY 2 June / July 2013

6:30 am Rib fest contest:

cooks start their grills!

8:00 am PRayeR at the Gates at all village entrances

(call 333-4222 for information)

Beginning at 11:00 amfun inflatable jumPs

obstacle couRsebean baG toss

volleyball • soccerRemote/Radio contRolled

boat fun at Pond (bring your own boat)home Plate GRill

11:00 am – 1:00 pm ‘dimPles’ the clown

11:45 am Rib fest judGinG

Noon – 4:00 pm micRo-Reality stock caR RacinG

12:30 pm ‘fReddie’ the fiRe tRuck

1:00 pm softball Game

Village employees vs south holland ministerial assn.

2:00 pm – 4:00 pm ‘Patches’ the clown

face PaintinG

2:30 pm liVe music by

atmosPheRe of heaVen(contemPoRaRy chRistian band)

3:00 pm – 5:00 pm camel Rides

3:30 pm Giant wateR balloon battle

(on baseball field)

4:00 pm sPecial PRizes

5:00 p.m. liVe music by

latin satin soul

8:00 pm south holland municiPal band

9:10 pm

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

sunday, july 76:00 P.m.

outdooR woRshiP seRVice at VeteRans PaRk

Guest speaker: corey buchanan, first Reformed church

tHURSDAY, jULY 4, 2013VETERANS mEmORIAL pARK, 160TH pLACE & SOUTH pARK AVE.

INdepeNdeNce day –

Celebrate!!

b r e at H ta K I N G f I r e w o r K s !

South Holland TODAY June / July 2013 3

LOOKING FOR CONTESTANTS....

Do you have what it takes to be the best? here’s a chance to put your ribs to the test!

Calling all backyard chefs and barbecue experts for the annual 4th of July Rib Fest competition. Grills can start smoking at 6:30 a.m. at Veterans Park, 160th Place & South Park Ave.

Judging takes place at 11:45 a.m.

2 0 13

Animated Manufacturing CompanyCalumet Carton CompanyCars Towing & TransportCloverleaf MotelDental Care 4 U, P.C.Larry DeYoung & AssociatesDiaz Tire ServicesDreyer, Ooms & Van Drunen, Ltd.Eagle Express Lines, Inc.First National Bank of IllinoisGibraltar Chemical Works, Inc.Gurtler IndustriesHiskes, Dillner, O’Donnell, Marovich & Lapp, Ltd.J & A Pallets Service, Inc.Jimbooo’s, LtdJMA ArchitectsLagestee-Mulder, Inc.Nicole Lawson Attorney at Law, P.C.Mike’s Copy Production

Thank you! to our Independence Day Sponsors!

Peter H. Neale, D.O. SCNissan of South HollandNorthern Steel Industries, Inc.Providence BankProvidence Life ServicesRiver Oaks Gas & Food S&J Construction Co., Inc.Shear DesignsSkyline Imports, LLC.Smits Funeral Homes, Ltd.South Suburban MemorialsStepping Stone Financial, Inc.The ShopperThornton Township, Frank Zuccarelli, SupervisorTriangle SalvageWalt’s Food CenterWausau EnterprisesWitvoet Plumbing, Inc.

HERITAGE HAUL

EvEnt SponSoRS incLUDE:

Thornton Township Jimboos

South Suburban MemorialAbbott’s Printing

Charlie’s Auto Body MB Financial

Providence BankJMA Architects

AT&T Smits Funeral Home

Skyline ImportsWalt’s Food Centers

Park PressNorthern Steel Industries, Inc.

VanDrunen Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.

River Oaks Gas & Food

2012 Half Marathon kicks off.

Saturday, Sept. 21stKick-off, 7:00 a.m.

Veterans Park

Information and registration at www.southholland.org.

EvEntS incLUDE:Half Marathon

10K – 5K15-mile bike trail

ALSOKids Dash

Children’s activities


By Eric Pradelski

Cardinal Francis George visited South Holland on Sunday, May 19, to co-celebrate Holy Ghost Parish’s 50th anniversary Mass. “What a joy it is to be back in South Holland, and for the parish’s jubilee to fall on Pente-cost Sunday,” George said at the beginning of Mass. For those unfamiliar with Catholic tradition, Pentecost represents the gift of the Holy Spirit being passed on to the apostles, making it their patron Catholic feast day. At the end of the Mass, George delivered a brief message saying, “Holy Ghost Parish is witness and testimony to the presence of

Cardinal George visits Holy Ghost Parish for 50th anniversary celebration

the Holy Spirit in South Holland over the past 50 years.” Healsobrieflymentionedhisexperienceat the recent conclave where Pope Francis was elected, stating that the College of Cardinals was not looking out for each other’s best interests, but searching for the best “universal pastor” to lead the Catholic Church into the future. After the service, when asked about his parish celebrating 50 years, the Rev. Anthony Talarico said, “This is a great achievement for our village. Our parishio-ners are very attached to the community.”

Cardinal Francis George visited South Holland on Sunday, May 19, to co-celebrate Holy Ghost Parish’s 50th anniversary Mass.


Shown above, residents assist village board members with the planting of a tree outside the South Holland Community Center, and trash pick up at Gouwens Park.

Village takes a ‘Bite out of Grime’

Memorial Day Parade and Remembrance Ceremony

Marching Band: McKinley Junior High School Professional Float: Recreational Services Amateur Float: South Holland Garden Club

Walking Unit: Providence Bank Motor Unit: Mo’Par Alliance Annual Mayor’s Trophy: Spirit of God Fellowship

2013 MeMoRiAl DAy PARADe WinneRS: South Holland Garden Club

Spirit of God Fellowship

McKinley Jr. High School

Recreational ServicesProvidence Bank


By Cindy Cruz

The South Holland Department of Recreational Services will present Head in the Right Direction Concussion Awareness on Saturday, July 13, at the Community Center, 501 E. 170th St., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The presentation will cover the symp-toms, treatments and how to recover. Former Chicago Bears star linebacker Otis Wilson, a member of the 1985 Super Bowl winning team, will be the guest of honor. Those who preregister for this free event will be eligible to win valuable items from Otis Wilson, including a Chicago Bears Earl Bennett mini helmet, Chicago Blackhawks Jonathan Toews hockey puck, Chicago Bears Team Collectors laser football, Chicago Black-hawks Marian Hossa picture, Chicago White Sox Chris Sale baseball, Chicago Wolves game tickets and VIP parking, and Minnesota Twins Josh Reinecke baseball. For more information or to register, call 331-2940.

Rec program promotes concussion awareness

SOUTH HOLLAND HAPPENINGS

By Eric pradelski Join other South Holland residents in watching movies on a large screen close to home when Movies in the Park returns again this summer. The movies will be shown on Saturdays in Veterans Park beginning at dusk. Dates and movies to be shown in July and August are:

JULy 20 ................. “THE ImpOSSIBLE” (RATED pG-13)

AUG. 31 .................... “THE AVENGERS” (RATED pG-13)

The concession stand at Home Plate Grill near the baseball and softball fields will be available for all movies. Residents are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to sit on the lawn to watch the movies.

Enjoy Movies in the Park thissummer!

COOKOUT wITH THE COpS(A Community Policing Initiative)

FRIDAY, July 26thVan-O Park, 157th & Orchid

WeDneSDAY, August 14thMaicach Park, 165th Ellis

For more information, contact South Holland Police Department,

331-3131, option 2.


Zeldenrust Farm Market of Chi-cago Heights, Blankenship’s Farm of Eau Claire, Mich., and Healthy Food Hub are signed on for this year’s marketplace. Food Vendors include Aurelio’s Pizza, Early Bird Vegan & Vegetarian Breakfast, Espresso Express, Home Plate Grill and Kozy Korner Kater-ing. Goods & Services are provided by Avon, Baby Shea by Renee, Expres-sively Yours (Watkins Products), Mici’s Boutique, Scent Affection, Tupperware, and MORE!! The market will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays, June 28 – Sept. 27. This is a great opportunity for lunchtime shopping. Visit Southhol-land.org to review the complete list of vendors.

NEIGHBORHOOD Saturday, August 17thNoon – 4:00 pm

Paarlberg Park173rd & Paxton Avenue

Rain Date: August 24th

Town Center Marketplace

Flowers on the Front Porch!

Let’s join together to make 2013 a beautiful summer! Encourage friends

and neighbors to participate.

Demonstrate your participation in this event

by placing an American flag in the flowerpot.

Decorate your front porch with a

beautiful flowerpot!

Sponsored by Neighborhood Groups Organizing Committee

Opening Soon – PANERA BREAD!

Monday, July 226:00 A.M.

(tentative)

Let’s make this a record-breaking Grand Opening!

Free to residents! Grilled burgers and hotdogs, fun inflatable jump, bean bags toss, volleyball, and more!


By Cindy Cruz

Judging from the participation of the students selected for this year’s Student GovernmentNightvillageofficialsareconfidentthatSouthHollandwillcon-tinue to have a bright future. Eighth grade students from seven schools in the community participated in South Holland’s 25th annual Student Government Night in May. Participating schools were: Apostolic Kingdom Christian Academy, Calvin Christian, Calvary Academy, CHESS (Christian Home Educators of the South Suburbs), Christ Our Savior, Coolidge Junior High School and McKinley Junior High School.

Young leaders take the reins on student Government Day

Veronie, personnel services; Comfort Abuwa (McKinley), John Watson, eco-nomic development); TeeAaron Powell (Christ Our Savior), Fire Chief Don Bet-tenhausen; Destini Lindsey (Apostolic Kingdom Christian Academy), Police Chief/ESDA Director Greg Baker, Alex-iss Gilmore (Christ Our Savior), Jeff Hon, public works; Joh-nie Dunson ( C a l v a r y Academy), Frank Knit-tle, plan-ning, devel-opment and code en-forcement. De Graff said each year the stu-dents seem to be more mature as they present their reports. “We want to commend our students for the work they did,” he said. “I am very thankful for our students, parents and educators. The future of our com-munity is not completely dependent on

Serving as Student Mayor and Clerk are Juliana Knot and lance Davis.

Student government participants were: Juliana Knot (Calvin Christian), Mayor Don De Graff; Lance Davis (Calvary Academy), Village Clerk Sal-lie Penman; Paul Somerville (McKin-ley), Trustee Andrew Johnson; Caitlyn Densmore (Christ Our Savior), Trustee N. Keith Chambers; Ashley Lewis (CHESS), Trustee Larry DeYoung; Abi-gail Neibert (Calvin Christian), Trustee Cynthia Doorn; Sophia Ridgner (Cal-vary Academy), Trustee Mathew James; Bernard Walker (Coolidge), Trustee John Sullivan; Destiny Jones (Apostolic Kingdom Christian Academy), Treasurer Beth Herman; DeJah Jones (Apostolic

Kingdom Christian Academy), Village Attorney Tim Lapp; Kristopher Sisney (McKinley), Village Engineer Pat Bark-er; Isaiah Easter (Calvin Christian), Village Administra-tors Jason Huisman and Pat Mahon; Dil-lon Herman (Calvin Christian), Michael

‘ I deeply respect the mayor, village clerk and the trustees, and I am very grateful that they have been chosen to lead the village.’ – Lance Davis

eighth grade students from seven schools in South Holland were partnered with village officials for the 25th annual Student Government program.


Young leaders take the reins on student Government Day

Destiny Jones, Treasurer

Dillon Herman, Dir. of Personnel Services

those of us who run village; it is also dependent on the parents and students. They represent our future. You need to know that we care about you and will be there for you.” The students gave the experience high marks as well. Destiny Jones who met with Village

Treasurer Beth Her-man said she enjoyed l e a r n i n g about the treasurer’s job and the d e t a i l e d work it re-quires. “I enjoyed being a part of Student

Government Night and am honored to have been selected to participate,” she said. “The members of our government have done and will continue to do everything they can to make South Holland the best that it can be,” said Sophia Ridgner.

Lance Da-vis added, “I deeply respect the mayor, vil-lage clerk and the trustees, and I am very grateful that they have been chosen to lead the village.” Paul Somer-ville said that he has been able to see the impact that recreational services provides for its youth such as offering the summer youth programs and Winter and Spring Break programs. He commended Trustee Johnson who oversees this area for everything he does for the residents. Trustee Cindy Doorn said that Student Government Night is a great opportunity that is presented through the village’s Public Relations and Marketing Depart-ment. “We’re always really thrilled at how this turns out. We always learn a lot

about ourselves and our department heads through the eyes of our students. This year we had a little different take because the students had to give their impressions about the department lead-ers. It was very refreshing,” Doorn said. Juliana Knot summed up the feelings of the students. “We had a great time learning about local government and meetingthevillageofficials.Wewouldlike to thank Mayor De Graff, Clerk Penman, and all of the village trustees and administrators for giving us this opportunity,” she said.

‘ I deeply respect the mayor, village clerk and the trustees, and I am very grateful that they have been chosen to lead the village.’ – Lance Davis

eighth grade students from seven schools in South Holland were partnered with village officials for the 25th annual Student Government program.


By Eric Pradelski

The Citizen Police Academy will teach you all you need to know about how the South Holland Police Department operates, including patrol functions, investigations,trafficenforcement,useof force, crime scene processing, K-9 units and more. The fall session begins Thursday, Sept. 5, and runs through Thursday, Nov. 21.

Registration for fall session of Citizen Police Academy now open

All sessions run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and take place at the South Holland Com-munity Center located at 501 E. 170th Street, Applications are available at the South Holland Police Department in the Mu-nicipal Complex near Village Hall. For more information, call 708-331-3131 ext. 2.

Teen curfew POLICE DEPARTMENT

Add fire safety to summertime outdoor cooking ritual

FIRE DEPARTMENT

It doesn’t take a lot of work to make a steak taste great, especially when it’s been grilled outdoors. It takes a grill, some charcoal, and a steak. It doesn’t take a lot of work to cook that steak carefully, either. The South Hol-land Fire Department reminds youtoaddfiresafetytoyourbarbecue recipe. There are three primary dangers in cooking outside. One isclothescatchingfire.Another is improper use of lighter fluid. Third is carelessbehavior around a hot grill. These and other grilling risks are easy toavoid.Wearclothingthatdoesn’tflopagainst the coals or hot surfaces of the grill. Always use a long-handled utensil that is intended for barbecuing. Ifyouuselighterfluid,useitcarefully.Neverreapplyfluidonceafirehasbeenstarted. The best and safest way to start afire iswithabunchofcrumpledupnewspapers. It’s low-tech but it works and won’t explode.

By Eric Pradelski

The South Holland Fire Department is sponsoring its annual Christmas in July food drive throughout the month of July.

All unopened, nonperishable items (such as canned soups and vegetables, cereals, rice and noodles) will be accept-ed. Cash donations are also welcome.

Donations may be dropped off at Fire Station 1 located at 16230 Wausau Ave. from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Municipal Complex adjacent to Village Hall.

All food received will be donated to Restoration Ministries, which operates a food pantry for people in South Holland and other surrounding communities.

Please help support the needy families in our community.

Fire Dept. sponsors Christmas in July food drive

By Eric Pradelski

With summer approaching, it is a good time to keep in mind the South Holland curfew for residents less than 17 years of age. This curfew applies yearlong and not just during the summer. Curfew times are from midnight to 6 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday to Thursday nights. For more information, please see Ar-ticle I, Sec. 11-6 Curfew of the South Holland Village Code, available on the South Holland website, www.southhol-land.org.

Remember that the grill is an extreme-ly hot and dangerous thing. Be sure it’s set in a safe, stable place. Keep children and their curiosity away from the grill. Never use a grill under overhanging trees, roofs, awnings or umbrellas. If

it’s raining, either don’t cook out or plan to get wet.

Keep a garden hose or large bucket of water nearby, just in case. Be sure the hose is

connected and turned on,sothataflickofthenozzle will bring water

instantly. After cooking, soak the coals thor-

oughly and keep them outside until they dry out. If wet charcoal is trapped in a closedplaceitcanburstintoflames.Ifyour bag of charcoal gets wet, leave it outside well away from your house or garage to dry out. Have a safe, happy and delicious cookout. The South Holland Fire Department wants everyone to “Learn not to Burn.”


Tips from Public Works on how to reduce indoor floodingBy Eric Pradelski

The unnecessary addition of storm water into the sanitary system of a home during heavy rainfalls may cause sanitary sewer backups. Overhead sewers are an effective way of reducing sump pump backups because they are designed to drain from a point that is higher than the lowest level drains. Besides overhead sewer systems, here are some tips from South Holland Public WorksDirectorJeffHonforreducingstormwaterfloodinginsidethehouse:• Areasalongthefoundationwallsshouldbeslopedawaytopreventwaterfromcollecting.• Directdownspoutsawayfromthehouseusingextensions.• Keepbackyard,curbandgutterstormdrainsclearofdebris.• Reduceimpermeablesurfacessuchasasphaltandconcrete.• Keepasparesumppumponhand.• Purchaseageneratororbatterybackupsystemtorunyoursumppumpintheevent of a power outage.

• The village sends critical communications to residents, from evacuation notices to missing child alerts.

• If you missed a delivered message, playback is available by simply dialing back the number on your Caller ID.

• Your contact information remains private and will only be used for community notifications.

• Make sure you are all set to receive alerts. Visit the CodeRed website to enter your contact information, including multiple phone numbers, text and email addresses.

Visit southholland.org to register for Code Red.

Keeping citizens informed.

Code Red Emergency Notification NetworkNOW AVAILABLE!

PUBLIC WORKS John Wesley Anderson and Jason Smith, graduating seniors from Thorn-ridge and Seton Academy, respectively, have been named Gates Millennium Scholars. John, who has been accepted by numerous schools, will attend the University of San Francisco, California. Jason will attend the University of Iowa.

Seton Academy alum, Elliott Barney, is a four-time men’s track letter winner at Hope College.

Lauren Knazze, daughter of Othello and Doris Knazze, earned a bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist Univer-sity in Dallas. She has been accepted to Loyola University Medical School.

Thornwood students have won big at NFTE (Network for Teaching En-trepreneurship) competition. Winners were Jesus Fernandez-Ortiz, a junior from Thornwood, and Toheeb Okenla, a senior. These two students had a part-nership business consisting of a soccer sock with a built-in pocket. They will be representing the state this fall in New York in the nationals.

South Holland resident Miriam A. Mobley Smith, Dean and Professor of the College of Pharmacy at Chicago State University, has been named a Fellow of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) for distinguished service to pharmacy practice in hospitals and health systems. The 2013 Fellows were honored on Tuesday, June 4, 2013, during the ASHP Summer Meeting & Exhibition in Minneapolis.

SALUTES

2013–14 VEHICLE STICKERS now available – must be

displayed by July 1.

South HollandMotor Vehicle Owners

PRICES: Passenger Cars ...................$40 Trucks & Motor Homes .....$55 Trucks C & higher ..............$95 Motorcycles ........................$20

(Senior Citizens (65 years & older) receive 50% discount)

STICKERS PuRCHASED JuLy 1 THRu 31

INCuR A 50% LATE FEE.

STICKERS PuRCHASED AuGuST 1 OR LATER

INCuR A $100 LATE FEE.

REMEMBER: Any vehicle registered to a South Holland address is required to have a South Holland vehicle sticker, regard-less of it being parked on the street, in a driveway, or garage. It’s the law.

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SPORTS

Seton Girls Softball Team The Seton Lady Sting softball team completed their season by winning two of their three Girls Chicago Athletic Conference tournament games.

The Lady Sting were led by senior co-captains Awrian Rogers and Tiffany Ellis.

Girls 14 & Under Team

The South Holland girls 14U Softball Team, the Fire, is hav-ing a better season than their one-win record would indicate. It took a few games for this year’s team to begin to gel with all the new girls on the team.

Co-Capt’s Rogers and ellis

Girls 14-18 celebrate a recent win.Girls 14 & U team, ready for Memorial Day parade

SOFTBALL CORNER Team manager Mark Hale and coaches Frank Wil-liams, Frank Hondras and Melvin Cray are very proud of the girls and their accomplishments this year

Girls 14-18 Team The South Holland Stealers, playing Little League’s Big League Softball Division (ages 14-18), opened their season on Memorial Day by defeating Chicago East Side 9-6 at Veterans Park. The girls hope to see a lot of South Holland residents root them on during their home games at Veterans Park this season, and promise to always put on a good show! The team consists of girls from around the area, in-cluding Thornwood, Thornton, Seton, Marian Catholic, Illinois College and Western Illinois University. They are led by Manager Scott Pallay and Coaches Wil Hester and Brittani Reme’.

SAVEDATE

the

heritage FestivalLabor Day Weekend: august 28 – September 2

4 Artists’ Gallery

4 Saturday in the park

4 worship in the park

4 paarlberg Fest


That was the question posed by Gerre, a student at South Suburban College and active participant in First Campus Ministries. She asked this question with a tender smile on her face and a tear welling up in her eye. Gerre stands no morethanfivefootthree.Shehascurlyblack hair and a smile that invites more conversation. Any one of the 18 or so of us in the room could tell that Gerre’s heart was breaking for her family that as she admitted, “were not followers of Jesus.”

I had another conversation later in the week with another friend. This friend too is soft-spoken and gracious. She came to me because as she admitted, she has no one else to turn to. This friend shared with me about her relationship with her sister. While she loves her sister and would do anything for her, their relation-ship was causing a serious emotional and mental strain for my friend. Her sister kept taking and taking and my friend kept giving and giving. My friend confessed to me that she simply has nothing more to give. I shared with her that I would pray that she would experience a release and a freedom from having to carry so many burdens. I also threw out a word

Does God want my family to be saved?that I learned in Introduction to Counsel & Care back in Seminary: boundaries. I told my friend she was not acting self-ishly by creating healthy boundaries.

I left both of those two experiences thinking the same thing. We simply can’t control the actions of others. We can’t. Wouldn’t it be nice if we just had a magic wand and we could tap on someone so that they would immediately change their behavior or become some-one that they are not, or even hurry up in being a person that they say they are trying to be? In the end, we simply can’t control the actions of others. As much as she would like, Gerre can’t control her family’s willingness to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord. And as much as my friend would like, she can’t control her sister from living a destructive life. And I don’t know about you, but a lot of my stress, anxiety and sometimes even “blahness” is because I’m carrying the burdens of others, desperately wanting to control their actions. Check that, I know you do that too. The anxiety over the wayward child. The fear about mom’s health. The stress surrounding a friend’s sinful situation. Because we love, we end up carrying the burdens of others.

SOUTH HOLLAND CHURCHES

My friends, we can’t control the ac-tions of others. All we can do is plant seeds of the kingdom of God. We can continue to love those that are hard to love. We can continue to pray for those that are living far away from the faith. We can continue to walk carefully be-side others in their pain. But we can’t control their actions. So in a lot of ways, there is freedom in not being in control. There is a sense of release of not being in control. There is even a sense of joy knowing that it’s not my responsibility. All we can do is plant the seeds of the kingdom of God and trust that God will do the growing in God’s ordained time. So for those of you who are carrying something this morning, God has given you permission to release it to His shep-herding watch and care. Or for those of you who are stressing out over a child’s actions, God has given you permission to turn that stress over to the promises of His providence. Or for those of you who are in a dark place because of things out of your control, God has given you permissiontosetthemdownandfixyoureyes on His loving gaze.

– Rev. Matt Waterstone First Reformed Church

South Holland / Thornton15th Annual Garden Walk

Saturday, June 22, 2013, 10:00am to 3:00pm.

Tickets & Map are only $5.00!Available at Village Hall - 16226 Wausau Avenue

or call Margaret Neutout at 339-7986


VISION 2022 PROGRESS4New landscaped gateway sign concepts are planned for entrances to the village beginning in July at Route

6 (bordering the City of Harvey). Entrances on 170th Street, east of Paxton (bordering Lansing) and

172nd and Halsted (also bordering Harvey) are in the pipeline to be completed this year as well.

4Newly designed banners highlighting upcoming community events, the Town Center area, and the village’s

Clean, Bright & Beautiful campaign are now displayed on South Park and Cottage Grove Avenues.

4Park improvements, such as an overhaul at Maicach Park at 165th

and Ellis Avenue, will be completed this year.

4A new “Clean Team” is fully engaged and committed to the

village’s mission of a Clean, Bright and Beautiful community.

The entrance to South Holland on Route 6, bordering the City of Harvey, will be the first to receive an enhanced clean, bright and beautiful landscaped gateway sign.

FEMA Disaster Recovery Center coming to South Holland

One Day Only! Saturday, June 29th, 12 – 6 p.m.South Holland Community Center, 501 East 170th Street

DISASTER RECOVERy SERVICES AVAILABLE:Onsite Registration for FEMA Assistance • SBA Low-Interest Loan Information

FEMA Mitigation • South Holland Flood Rebate Program

For your convenience, register online prior to this event at FEMA.org. If you are unable to attend, no need to worry. You can still register for

FEMA disaster recovery assistance either online or by calling (800) 621-3362, option 3. Deadline to register is July 9, 2013.

The new Clean Team recently completed a painting project in the area near the Town Center Marketplace site.


The natural and beneficial functions of the flood plains Itisdifficulttothinkoffloodplainswithoutalsothinkingofflooding.Andnobodylikesitwhen their home or business or neighborhood gets flooded.But flood plain areas are nowalso recognized as having an intrinsic value of their own as a part of the interconnected ecosystemandaninfluentialroleinincreasinga community’s quality of life. For example, the recognizedbenefitsofanaturallyfunctioningfloodplainincludethestorageandconveyanceoffloodwaters,therechargingofgroundwater,the maintenance of surface water quality, and theprovisionofhabitatsforfishandwildlife.These areas also provide diverse recreational opportunities, scenic value, and a source of community identity and pride. Clearly the potential gains of transforming stream and river flood plains from problem areas intovalue-added community assets are substantial. Floods have caused a greater loss of life and property and have disrupted more families and communities in the United States than all other natural hazards combined. Despite the expenditure of tens of billions of tax dollars for structural measures, such as dams, levees, and channelprojectstotrytocontrolfloodwaters,floodlossescontinuetorise.Thus,anewwayof thinking about flood plain managementhas emerged in recent years that focuses on hazard mitigation. Flood hazard mitigation places greater emphasis on trying to adapt to thenaturalphenomenaoffloodingsuchasbymaintainingfloodhazardareasasopenspace,andlessontryingtocontrolfloodwaters. Flood plains play a valuable role in pro-vidingnaturalandbeneficialfunctionstothearea around, and including South Holland. Floodplains that are relatively undisturbed provideawiderangeofbenefitstobothhu-manandnaturalsystems.Thesebenefitspro-vide aesthetic pleasures as well as function to provideactiveprocessessuchasfilteringnu-trients. The Little Calumet River at Gouwens ParkandVeteransPark,arebothfloodplains.Both are used as a means of recreation, dis-covery and are considered “wetlands”. Both floodplainscontainhistoricandarcheologicalsites that provide opportunity for education andstudy.Bothenhancewaterfowl,fishandother wildlife habitats and provide feeding/breedinggrounds. Bothfloodplainsprovidenatural erosion control and open space so fur-

therfloodingdamagedoesnotoccur. The Village of South Holland is working to improvethefloodplainfornaturalandrecre-ational purposes. Gouwens Park and Sports Complex has a wetland and a bikeway. The Village is cleaning up the banks and chan-nelsbothforfloodprotectionandappearancepurposes. The Gouwens Park wetland mitiga-tion site consists of approximately 5 acres of native prairie, native wetland plantings, and open water. The site will remain as a natural wetland/prairie complex on the park property. In its natural setting, the site is used by a va-riety of wildlife and could easily be used for environmental education. In addition, the area undergoesfloodingfromtheadjacentriverandwas designed to function in that manner. Who knows? Someday the river front may be the main attraction in town. It is important to recognize that thefloodplains serve many functions besides carrying orstoringfloodwaters.Thus,weshouldkeepthewaterascleanaspossibletohelpfishandother wildlife. Here are some things residents can do to protect the river:t Bag or compost all yard waste.t Take used motor oil to a licensed recycling

plant.t Do not wash paints, thinners, anti-freeze,

and other chemicals into the street. Take leftovers to a household hazardous waste collection center.

t Cover bare soil with a mulch and seed it as soon as possible to minimize erosion.

t Carefully apply lawn chemicals and limit the amount of fertilizers and pesticides being used.

t Keep as much green areas as possible as natural or man-made drainage swales. Plant plenty of trees and shrubs.

Watersheds—The Big Picture

While it is important for communities to plan and take responsibility for the land uses that occurintheirownfloodplains,itmustberec-ognizedthatfloodlevelandwaterqualitycanbe very much affected by land use activities oc-curring elsewhere in the watershed. Land uses along tributaries are likely to have an impact on downstream communities. Wise management of tributaries is therefore extremely important, as theirprotectioncanyieldbenefitsfor theentire network. Broad planning efforts among communities with a watershed can thus have far-reaching advantages.

Flood-proofing projects pay dividends Now that the rainy season is upon us, Plan-ning, Development and Code Enforcement (P.D.&C.E.) reminds residents that a Flood Assistance Rebate program is available to qualifiedapplicantsforpre-approvedflood-proofingprojects.

For example, residents planning to install overhead sewers in their homes to alleviate floodingproblemsmaybeeligibleforagrantto cover a portion of the project costs.

The rebate offers residents a 25 percent rebate, to a maximum of $2,500, for the fol-lowingflood-controlprojects:

SuRFACE WATER PROJECTS

t Diversion of downspout watert Flood walls

SEWER BACKuP PROJECTS

t Overhead sewers (repairs and installation)t Removal of sump pump and down spout

connections from sanitary sewerst Backflowvalves

SuBSuRFACE PROJECTS

t Interior and/or exterior drain tilet Crackrepairand/orwaterproofingfounda-

tion walls

It is imperative that those planning to apply for a rebate contact the P.D. & C.E. Department at 16240 Wausau, or call 210-2915, before beginninganyflood-controlproject.

A department representative will meet with the resident, inspect their property and assist in completion of the necessary grant application. The department can also can provide a list of contractors who are licensed to do business in South Holland, if requested.

Homeowners are advised not to wait until the last minute, but to allow plenty of time to secure the required pre-approval and minimum of two bid proposals from contractors.

This is a great program and many residents who have taken advantage of this opportunity are grateful for the benefit that comeswithfloodproofingtheirhome.

FLOOD PROOFING SERIES

Village of South Holland16226 Wausau Ave.South Holland, IL 60473

POSTAL PATRON

South Holland, Illinois 60473

Movies in the Park Saturday, July 20

Neighborhood Block Parties Saturday, June 22, August 17

Town Center Marketplace Fridays, beginning June 28 – September 27

Independence Day Celebration Thursday, July 4

Prayer at the Gates Thursday, July 4

Worship Service in the Park Sunday, July 7

South Holland Municipal Band Thursday, July 4, July 25, August 8

Cookout with the Cops Friday, July 26; Wednesday, August 14

In observance of Independence Day, most municipal buildings will be closed on Thursday, July 4.

For activity details, visit www.southholland.org.

VILLAGE HALL HOURS:Monday – Friday .................................8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.Saturday .............................................. 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m

Village Hall .............................................................210-2900Don A. De Graff, President

Sallie Penman, ClerkN. Keith Chambers, Trustee

Larry De young, TrusteeCynthia Doorn, TrusteeMathew James, Trustee

Andrew Johnson, Jr., TrusteeJohn Sullivan, Trustee

Administration ......................................................210-2904Building Department ...........................................210-2915Public Works .........................................................339-2323Police .......................................................................331-3131Fire...........................................................................331-3123Recreational Services ..........................................331-2940Public Access .........................................................339-2744Thornton Township .............................................596-6040South Holland Public Library .............................331-5262Emergency (Fire or Police) ...........................911

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERSDATES TO

REMEMBER

Clean – Bright – Beautiful!

EWSLETTER FROM THE V ILLAGE OF S OUTH H OLLA N D · PDF file10K – 5KMarovich & Lapp,...

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