August 2015

VILLAGE PRESIDENT ROBERT “BOB” KOLOSH

Village of Thornton News and Views

Village Hall

115 East Margaret Street

Thornton, Illinois 60476

Phone (708) 877-4456 Fax (708) 877-4458

www.thornton60476.com

Hours

Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm

Saturday 9am - 12pm

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far. It started out so cool then drastically turned into hot and humid! Hopefully many of you have either been on vacation or will shortly before the kids return to school in a couple of weeks.

It has certainly been a busy summer at the Village Hall. Hopefully all have no-ticed the final stages of Skyline Furniture Corporate Headquarters’ remodel (landscaping and parking lot renovations). Also Harcros Chemicals has invested quite heavily in their location on Canal Street with a grand opening slated for the end of the month. To continue, work is progressing rapidly on the $11.2 Million Thorn creek Senior Living Center on Margaret St. There is a full update on page 8. Please be on the lookout for the larger recycling totes. We have been notified by Tri-State that they will be delivering by the end of September. Please see the Public Works page, we have information on our free MWRD Rain Barrel Program.

On another note I am thrilled to announce the hiring of two Police Officers which will help bring our Police Department closer to full staffing, Kevin Paluch and Jim Mullins. Public Works has also hired Colleen Hill full-time and Eric Kearney part-time. A big welcome to our new hires!

I hope you enjoy the rest of the summer and want to say Thank You to all our Residents, Administration, Staff and Trustees for making Thornton a great place to live and raise a family.

Take Care,

Bob

Proclamations 2015

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROBERT KOLOSH, Village President of the Village of

Thornton, do hereby, on behalf of the Board of Trustees and all of the residents

of the Village of Thornton, extend our gratitude, appreciation and heartfelt thanks

to the following for all their accomplishments, achievements, dedication and civic

contributions given to the Village of Thornton.

Mayor Kolosh with Joe & Maureen Gallagher.

Glenda & John Levon

Don Willing

August 2015

Hi, Everyone!

Lots of stuff happening in the Village. If you have any questions about any of the following, please call the Clerk’s office.

Village Wide Garage Sale – The date for this event is Saturday, September 12, from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. For anyone new into Thornton, you can have a garage sale at no charge on this date. It is recommended you call the Village Hall (708-877-4456) and place your name on the Garage Sale list that is made available on line and at the Village Hall. Remember, if you plan on hold-ing your garage sale any day before or after, you must then purchase a permit at the Clerk’s office for $5.00.

Village Vehicle Stickers – By now, everyone should have purchased their 2015-16 Thornton vehicle stickers. Just a warning: the Police Department has started ticketing vehicles registered with a Thornton address that don’t have a vehicle sticker displayed. So please purchase your vehicle sticker. They are currently $40 for an automobile. (A police citation is $50.)

Farmers Market – The Market at Hubbard Park is in full swing every Wednes-day from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. In support of this event, the Clerk’s office is closed every Wednesday from 12:00 noon until 1:15 p.m. You can find us get-ting lunch at the Farmers Market. Remember Lynnie Ques? She’s serving all kinds of good food, from delicious pulled pork sandwiches to heavenly sloppy joes. Hope to see you there!!

F.Y.I. – Remember, all pets that are allowed outside at any time need a Village pet tag – this includes dogs and cats. The cost is only $2.00 each, and provides us with information to get your pet back to you if lost. Also, it is against Village Code to allow your pet to run freely without a leash or a fence; and when walk-ing your pet, don’t forget your pooper scooper!!

Cook County Mosquito Abatement – I recently received a call from Cook County Mosquito Abatement. Remember what a wet spring we had? Well, the mosquitos loved it. CCMA informed me that all the basins in Thornton have been sprayed; but they asked for our help, too. Make sure to eliminate any standing water around your home – buckets, garbage cans, tires, etc. If you have a bird bath, it should be changed every 7-10 days. Let’s try to show those pesky bugs who’s boss!!

Watch for Holiday Happenings coming again this year! Village Hall will be closed on Saturday, September 5 and Monday, September 7 for Labor Day and Saturday, October 10 and Monday, October 12 for Columbus Day. Stay safe for what’s left of our summer!!

Debbie & Melissa

VILLAGE CLERK DEBBIE PISARZEWSKI

VILLAGE PRESIDENT Robert “Bob” Kolosh

VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR Doug Beckman

CLERK/COLLECTOR Debbie Pisarzewski

DEPUTY CLERK,

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT & WEBMASTER Melissa Doud

BUILDING DEPARTMENT Building Commissioner

Dave Habecker Electrical Inspector

Bernie Lubawy

TREASURER Arlette Frye

ATTORNEY Scott Dillner

ENGINEER James Hus

Robinson Engineering

NEWSLETTER EDITORS Sharlee Dunlop Melissa Doud

Village Hall

115 East Margaret Street

Thornton, Illinois 60476

Phone (708) 877-4456 Fax (708) 877-4458

www.thornton60476.com

Hours

Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm

Saturday 9am - 12pm

August 2015

MEETING SCHEDULE

Village Committee Meet-

ings are held on the first

and third Mondays of

every month at 7:00pm.

Village Board Meetings are

immediately following at

7:30pm.

The Planning and Devel-

opment Commission

Meetings are held on the

second Wednesday of the

month at 7:30pm.

Police and Fire Commission

Meetings are held

quarterly.

All meetings are held in

the Board Room of the

Village Hall.

Open to the Public.

Village Hall

Board Room

115 East Margaret

Street

Visit us at www.thornton60476.com

for agendas and

meeting packets.

Board of Trustees

Ernest “Bo” Kaye

Kim Atkinson

Tom Ehlers

Joseph Pisarzewski

David Hudson

Debra Paris

ELECTRICAL AGGREGATION

The Village Board continues to direct staff in monitoring electric rates to try

and get the best price for Village residents. As most of you will remember,

several years ago the Village started an Electric Aggregation Program

which saved thousands of dollars Village-wide in electrical costs for the

residents. After the aggregation period was over, Com Ed provided the

best rate so we ended the program. If the Village feels confident that an-

other supplier can beat Com Ed’s rate for a 1 or 2 year period, we will once

again consider entering into an Aggregation Agreement. Until then, the

Village urges residents to be cautious when entering into individual agree-

ments as there could be hidden activation/cancellation costs.

ENERGY SOLICITORS

Please, please, please, if you have someone knocking at your door who

says they can save you money and can lower your electric or gas bill, ask

questions!!! First and foremost, ask if they have a badge from the Village.

All solicitors over the age of 18 need to first have a background check, and

are then issued a badge by the Thornton Police Department to go door-to-

door within the Village. Do not give them your phone number or any other

personal information. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it prob-

ably is!!! (Currently, there are no solicitors registered in Thornton.)

NOW HIRING ONE WATER METER READER

Water meter readers are employed by the Public Works Department to monitor residential consumers’ use of water. Duties include driving/walking along assigned route, recording the meter readings on a handheld computer and inspecting meters for damage or tampering. Potential me-ter reader should be prepared to work outdoors in all weather, interact with residents in a calm and professional manner and avoid dogs or other obstacles when walking onto unknown property. Because the job requires walking onto private properties it is important to have customer service skills and a working knowledge of the English language.

Meters are only read 6 times per year during the third week in February, April, June, August, October and December. Reads can take 2-7 days de-pending on speed and accuracy. Pay is $168.30. Thornton residents pre-ferred.

If you are interested, please see our Employment Opportunities at www.thornton60476.com for more information and directions on submit-ting application.

August 2015

Our Mission: The Thornton Police

Department exists for the purpose of protecting life

& property, and to maintain social order within the carefully prescribed ethical & constitutional limits.

Through a cooperative effort we will provide

citizens & visitors to the community with

professional police services, always with the

emphasis on the continued sensitivity to

the communities needs & concerns for all.

TTHORNTON POLICE DEPARTMENT

Glenn Beckman, Chief of Police 700 Park Avenue

(708) 877-2531 Non-Emergency

(708) 877-4440 Records (708) 877-5525 Fax

Office Hours: Monday - Friday

8am - 4pm Saturday 9am - 12pm

SCHOOL IS BACK IN SESSION

Wolcott School starts August 20th and the Pre-K program starts August 24th. Our agency’s primary concern is the safety of the children and for that we need your help. Here are some tips that will make this school year a safe one:

SLOW DOWN and STOP TALKING. School Zone speed limits on Eleanor and Margaret are 20mph. Also, it is against the law to talk on a mobile device while driving in Illinois.

DON’T BLOCK CROSSWALKS. Unfortunately, we can’t get the railroads to plan their schedule around our school travel times and occasionally traffic backs up because of a train. When that happens make sure to keep the crosswalks clear for the crossing guards to get the children across the street.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE CROSSING GUARDS. Village of Thornton crossing guards are trained individuals who wait for the safest opportunity to cross the children. So be mindful of them when they stop traffic and always cross the street with a crossing guard when available.

BE RESPECTFUL TO OTHERS AROUND THE SCHOOL. When picking up chil-dren from school be mindful that you are not the only person that needs to pick up a child. No parking areas (yellow curbs and parking blocks) around the school are strictly enforced for the safety of the children and for other motor-ists as well. More staff parking spaces were created to try and alleviate some congestion around the school at drop-off and pick-up times.

DON’T DRIVE THROUGH THE PARKING LOT BEHIND THE POLICE STATION. The parking area on the south side of the Rec Center/Police Station prohibits Through Traffic. Many parents and children will be parking in that area and walking to the entrance of the Rec Center. Therefore, unless you have busi-ness at the Rec Center or the Police Station, you are prohibited from driving through the lot.

We appreciate all of our resident’s cooperation in helping us make this school year a safe one.

Please visit our website www.thornton60476.com for the complete Back-To-School Safety Checklist from the Na-tional Safety Council.

August 2015

TTHORNTON COMMUNITY CENTER

Sharlee Dunlop, Director of Parks and Recreation Amy Potwin, Assistant Director

701 Highland Ave

(708) 877-4454 (708) 564-5078 Fax thorntonrec@yahoo.com Hours

Monday - Friday 9am - 8pm

Saturday 9am - 1pm

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

Pinochle every Thursday 1:00pm

Hand & Foot every Friday 5:00pm

Alcoholics Anonymous

FREE Senior Fitness Center (62+)

Spanish to English Conversa-tion Class every Wed

12:00pm

PARKS AND GROUNDS

Charles P Nason Park, Highland Avenue

Diekelman Park, North Kinzie Street

Marian Mikrut Memorial Park, Pawnee Drive

Hubbard Park, 102 N Hubbard St.

Skate Park, Park Avenue

COMMUNITY SERVICES

Memorial Tree Project

K-9 Training Academy

T.O.P.S.

Recycling

Party & Conference Room Pavilion Rentals

Table and Chair Rentals

First Aid Equipment Rentals

Featuring Lynnie Que’s BBQ for lunch! Fresh Produce, Flowers and Plants from Dotson Farms! EVERY WEDNESDAY 8am-2pm RAIN OR SHINE!

102 N Hubbard St/Ridge Rd next to the Quarry.

Zumba Fitness

Beginning in September!

Tue/Thu 6:30 PM

Mon 5:30 PM

Youth Zumba Thu 5 PM

KODENKAN ACADEMY OF MARTIAL ARTS

Youth Jujitsu ages 5+ Saturdays 10 AM

Adult Jujitsu T-TH 7:00 PM

and SAT 11:00 AM

SR Bingo Luncheon

12:00 PM $8.00 each

Monday, September 14th, Tacos

Monday, October 19th, Italian Beef

Monday, November 9th, Pizza

What is Five Play? Assorted weekly programs for only $5.00 each. These classes range from artistic

to active play!

Ages vary.

Five Play:

Pinch Pots

September 16th and 23rd. 2:30 PM

Make, Dry and Paint!

Five Play:

Playdough Time September 30th

2:30 PM Ages 2-4

Five Play:

War October 7th. 3-5 PM

Ages 6-10. Bring your own

gun. We supply safety glasses and ammo.

Five Play:

Cookie Decorating

October 14th

2:30-3:30 PM

Grades K-8

Five Play:

Game Room

October 29th

9-10:30 AM

Grades K-6

Five Play:

PG Movie Day

October 30th

9:30-11:30 AM

Grades K-8

Little Ones Pumpkin Hunt $6

Saturday, October 24th 10:00 AM Ages 0-4

Flashlight Pumpkin Hunt $8

Saturday, October 24th 7:00 PM Ages 5-10

Fall Co-Ed Softball League begins September 21st!

$300 per team!

August 2015

Our Mission: To provide the citizens of

Thornton with fast, effective and professional fire, rescue and medical services through the use of trained personnel and quality equipment. We

continually strive to prevent the loss of life,

personal injury and property damage through

public education and emergency

responsiveness. We will render our services with

pride and personal commitment to the

individuals in need of aid.

THORNTON FIRE DEPARTMENT

David Habecker, Fire Chief Joe Eaker, Assistant Fire Chief

115 E Margaret Street

(708) 877-4459 Non-Emergency (708) 877-1506 Fax

The Thornton Fire Department took delivery of our new ambulance in June, 2015. The ambulance is a Horton Model 623 custom conversion that was built on a Ford F-450 chasis. Horton is a well-built ambulance and leads the industry with their safety systems. The ambulance also provides a smooth and quite ride for our patients and is equipped with the latest technology such as a multi-plex electrical system.

We also purchased a Stryker Power Cot and Stair Chair; both are the gold standard in the industry. The cot provides safety and comfort for our patients and injury prevention for our paramedics. The cot lifts up and down with a push of a button instead of heavy lifting by personnel. The Stair Chair helps paramedics remove patients from buildings. The innovative stair-TREAD system allows the paramedics to control movement going down stairs so the paramed-ics lift less.

Please don’t hesitate to stop by anytime and see it for yourself!

August 2015

THORNTON PUBLIC WORKS

Public Works Office Hours: Monday – Friday 7:00am - 3:30pm

After hours: Call Lynwood

dispatch 708-758-4744 ext. #1

Maintenance tech is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Russ Oberman, Superintendent Bryan Roberts, Assistant Superintendent

321 E Harriet Street

(708) 877-4462 (708) 877-1627 Fax

Our Mission: To provide a wide range of vital community services to the residents of Thornton in a professional and effi-

cient manner.

Full Time Staff:

Regan Ruchala

Colleen Hill

Part Time/Seasonal Staff:

Richard Kingery

Eric Kearney

EPA: THE SOLUTION TO STORMWATER POLLUTION

ONLY RAIN DOWN THE DRAIN!!

DID YOU KNOW that storm water is the biggest threat to clean water? Storm water flows over driveways and sidewalks which collects debris in its path. Debris such as chemicals, pesticides, fertilizer, pet waste, oil, grease and other pollutions can flow into storm and sewer systems. Anything that enters a storm sewer is discharged into untreated bodies of water like lakes, streams and rivers which we use for swimming, fishing and drinking. Polluted storm water can kill or damage plants, fish and wildlife.

AND DID YOU ALSO KNOW that by practicing some household habits you to can help to do your part in protecting our water ways? Here are some tips to follow for cleaner water:

Lawn and Garden

Use pesticides and fertilizers sparingly, sweep fertilizer off driveway and sidewalk back into your lawn,

Select native plants and flowers that requires less water, fertilizer and pesticides,

Sweeping up yard debris instead of hosing it down. Compost or recycle whenever possible,

Keep piles of dirt, mulch or sand for landscaping projects covered,

Pick up your pet waste.

Vehicle and Garage

Take your car to the car wash or wash vehicle on grass/unpaved surface to stop the flow of dirty water,

Check your vehicle for leaks and spills: Absorb spillage with sand or oil dry,

Recycle used oils and fluids at service stations. Don’t dump these fluids down storm drains.

Home Repair

Locate and protect the drains from debris,

Purchase and use non-toxic biodegradable, recycled products,

Clean up and properly dispose of any debris when working on your house.

REMEMBER: ONLY RAIN DOWN THE DRAIN!!

RAIN BARREL PROGRAM

The Village of Thornton has entered into an agreement with MWRD to provide free rain barrels to interested residents of Thornton. Use water from your rain barrel to wash your car, water your garden or lawn, or wash your pet.

If you are interested in participating in this program, please complete a Munici-pal Application Form for Residents. Forms are available at the Village Hall or at our website www.thornton60476.com. All completed forms must be returned to the Clerk’s Office, 115 E. Margaret Street, Thornton, IL 60476. There is a limit of four rain barrels per residence and ordering may take up to two months. For more information, visit mwrd.org.

August 2015

COMMUNITY

THORNCREEK SENIOR LIVING UPDATE:

SIGN UP DAY IS WEDNESDAY, 9/16 FROM 10AM-3PM!

Building Design

Thorncreek Senior Living will be approximately 49,000 gross square feet of new construc-tion with 46 residential units. The building’s ground level includes 16 spaces of partially-

enclosed parking, 46 surface parking spaces, an entrance lobby, bicycle storage, mechan-ical and electrical equipment spaces, a trash/recycling room, and loading. The four sto-

ries above the ground floor include residential units, a community room, fitness room,

library, laundry facilities, and rental office. The buildings and site will incorporate concepts of Universal Design standards for accessi-

bility in addition to fulfilling minimum code requirements. The project will be the first mid-rise in the State of Illinois to achieve LEED certification. The exterior materials are pri-

marily a masonry fiberboard product. The color and styling of the exterior is intended to

complement the surrounding neighborhood. Each unit will have balconies and units on the south side of the building will have views of the meandering Thorn Creek and the

Wampum Lake Woods Forest Preserve.

Unit and Bedroom Mix The development will have 46 units featuring 19 units with Project-Based Vouchers. All

46 apartments will require at least one resident must be age 62 and older and all resi-

dents must be age 55 and older.

How to determine if you are eligible for a unit through Project-based Vouchers The Housing Authority of Cook County will be at Thornton Village Hall on

Wednesday, September 16th from 10am-3pm to open a site-based waitlist for

19 Project-based vouchers. Qualifications are as follows:

One resident in the household must be 62 years or older, and other members of the household must be at least age 55 years old;

Income does not exceed $26,600 for a one person household; Income does not exceed $30,400 for a two person household.

In addition to the Project-based vouchers, there will be a number of non-subsidized units, which the Owner’s Property Management Company will be accepting applications in Octo-

ber, 2015. The anticipated move-in date is early-January, 2016.

Thornton Historical Society

114 N Hunter St.

Meeting on August 24, 2015 at 7pm

The topic of the pro-gram is "Battle of the Bulge: The Forgotten Heroes", presented by author Robert Mueller.

The presentation on Western Europe's largest battle of WW II will be followed by a general meeting and refreshments. All are welcome.

Meetings will also be held at 7pm on Sep-tember 28th and Oc-tober 26th. Programs to be announced lat-er.

The museum is open every Saturday from 1pm to 3pm through October, please stop by and see the chang-es we have made.

THORNTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

REGISTER NOW FOR YOUTH PROGRAMS

708-877-2579 or www.thorntonlibrary.org

AUGUST - NOVEMBER 2015

Lego Night: Sep. 1 and Nov. 3, 4:00-5:30 PM

Game Night: Oct. 6, 4:00-5:30 PM

Movie Night: Sep. 8, Oct. 13, Nov. 10, 4:00-6:00 PM

Story Time: 1st and 3rd Mondays each month 1:00-2:00 PM

BOOK CLUBS

Grades 2 & 3: Second Wednesday each month 2:30-4:00 PM

Grades 4 & 5: Third Wednesday each month 2:30-4:00 PM

Grades 6, 7 & 8: Fourth Wednesday each month 2:30-4:00 PM

August 2015

COMMUNITY

New Patriotic themed doors donated to the American Legion Post #1070 by the Yavenue Fami-ly and the Lions Club.

From left: Commander Joe Gallagher, Bea and Dick Yavenue, Lions Club members Hunter Fisher, Bill Prucha and Vaughn Lagastee.

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

DECEMBER

4-6

Mark your calendars now

and stay in town Decem-

ber 4-6.

Organizations throughout the Village are already

planning their events. It is

the 10 year anniversary! If your group has never

been a part of Holiday Happenings in the past

and are interested in join-

ing the festivities this year, please let us know. Con-

tact Janet Sanders at 877-6137.

Watch for the official, com-plete schedule which will

be included in the Histori-cal Society greeting card/

open house invitation which will be mailed to

each home in November.

Additional schedules will be available at the Village

Hall, Recreation Depart-ment and Library.

Wolcott School is back in

session August 20th

Recreation Center Preschool and 2-Young classes begin

August 24th

August 2015

BULK RATE

U.S. Postage

P A I D

Thornton, IL

60476

Permit No. 8

POSTAL CUSTOMER

THORNTON, ILLINOIS 60476

Congratulations to the following residences who are the recipients

of the 2015 Village of Thornton Pride-in-Property Awards. The

awards are given out yearly by the Planning and Development

Commission.

2015 Pride-in-Property Award Winners

67 Arrowhead Philip & Erica Engel

41 Blackhawk Elene & Rob DeBok

39 Indianwood Susan Antone

125 Kinzie Greg & Marilyn Zenere

102 Laura Lane Chester & Beatrice Orendorff

109 Laura Lane James & Linda Olsen

300 Maple Dennis & Deborah Woltzen

301 Margaret Tom Gallagher & Abby Rodenburg

200 Queens Lane Tracy Robinson

805 Sunnyside Steve Kipley

Business

17021 S Canal Harcros Chemicals