MAYOR ROBERT E. LEE, JR.

Fiscal Responsibility at its Finest Good Day Berkeley Residents,

As discussed in previous Berkeley Matters articles and usually a topic at board meetings (held bi-monthly), is the discussion of declining Village revenue, while cost of Village operations increases 3% to 4% annually. The State of Illinois faces a fiscal crisis bigger than almost every state in the union. The Illinois crisis directly affects every community in the state with revenue sharing annually. The Village of Berkeley revenue was cut by approximately $55,000. A difficult equation to wrap your budget around for sure. However, your Village was up to the challenge.

This past fiscal year the Berkeley Board of Trustees reluctantly passed a deficit budget with the mantra of “doing all we can to limit spending while not sacrificing services to our residents and businesses.”

I am very pleased to report that we did indeed complete fiscal year 2017- 2018 with a balanced budget, saving over $400,000 in expenditure costs. I would like to thank Village Administrator Rudy Espiritu, Asst. Village Administrator Brandiss Martin, Police Chief Tim Larem, Fire Chief Mike Kuryla, Public Works Superintendent Joe Wagner and all Village employees for an incredible job of limited spending while providing outstanding service to our community. Your Village Board of Trustees also deserves great credit for charting the course for our staff to achieve this goal that is our fiduciary responsibility to you the resident.

The summer of 2018 draws to a close as we celebrate Labor Day and school is now back in session. Each year, we strive to offer increasingly better entertainment to our residents and friends of Berkeley, so I hope that you had a chance to enjoy Music in the Park on Wednesday evenings this past July. With hundreds in attendance for the Village Family Fest, held on a beautiful Sunday, August 12th, I am also hopeful you didn’t miss out on the fun. I would like to thank the Village Board of Trustees, especially Trustees Jerry Perez and Sherry Graf-Stone, for the dedication and hard work that goes into setting up and conducting these events. The Police, Fire, Public Works and Administrative staff all do a terrific job orchestrating our events for the residents and their dedication to Berkeley is greatly appreciated.

Movies in the Park will wrap up our summer entertainment on September 7th and September 14th at dusk (7 p.m.) held in Berkeley Park, directly across from Village Hall. Despicable Me 3 will be shown on September 7th followed by a movie classic, The Sting, airing on September 14th. Please join us for a night of good family entertainment. Free popcorn and concessions will be offered, so bring your lawn chair and perhaps a blanket or two to enjoy an evening with friends and family.

Road construction projects seem to be taking place everywhere we drive within the Chicagoland area and Berkeley is no exception. The current St. Charles Road reconstruction represents the new storm sewers being installed as part of the Flood Mitigation Project, now in full swing for over a month now. Thank you for your patience and respect for the safety of contractors as they work to improve our storm water management system. This project will continue to operate through the 2018 calendar year with a completion date targeted for the spring of 2019.

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Thank you for understanding the traffic delays and please support ALL local businesses during this project. Businesses are certainly impacted during construction projects of this magnitude, so I would ask that perhaps we make the extra effort to patronize Berkeley businesses. Your consideration is appreciated. The streets of Berkeley will be much more active this fall when, combined with construction activity, school is back in session with increased traffic flow. Let us all work together to keep everyone safe during this time.

Thank you to the Berkeley Public Library for starting a much needed after school program from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The library staff has some wonderful programs planned for your children after school. There will be homework help, chess and checker clubs, jigsaw puzzle days, Steam Science workshops and other offerings among the planned activities. Thank you to the Berkeley Public Library for recognizing a need and creating this new program to help the children and families of our wonderful community. No registration is needed to participate, so please stop by after school and take advantage of this thoughtful offering.

As Fall quickly approaches, make time for the Berkeley Community Garden Club as they wrap up another successful season with their annual Harvest Fest to be held at the Community Garden on St. Charles Road on Saturday, October 13th. The Garden Club always has a lot of fun while supporting Berkeley and continues to act as a terrific community advocate and are always looking for new members.

November 11, 2018 will mark the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day and the conclusion of World War I. The Village of Berkeley, the Berkeley Historical Society and the American Legion Post 1016 will conduct a ceremony and tribute to our brave soldiers and their families from so many years ago on November 11th at 11 a.m. We are in the early planning stages for this solemn and significant event in our nation’s history and will share more information with our residents as it becomes available.

Lastly, mark your calendars for Berkeley’s Holiday Fest on Saturday, December 1, starting at 3 p.m. The Village is once again hosting this event with the Park District, Library and Community Garden Club. This has always been an entertaining event, capping with the children helping me turn on the lights for the Village Holiday Tree.

Thank you all for your continued support of Berkeley and we hope to see you at future community events. The more that we support our community and its organizations, the stronger our community will continue to be.

With sincerest respect to the Village of Berkeley and its residents,

Robert E. Lee, Jr. President of the Village of Berkeley

Robert E. Lee Jr. Village President

Maria M. Rivera Village Clerk

Sherry Graf-Stone Village Trustee

Raymond Grenier Village Trustee

L.W. Hammar Village Trustee

Jerry Perez Village Trustee

Diane Salemi Village Trustee

Herb Washington Village Trustee

Rudy Espiritu Village Administrator

Brandiss J. Martin Assistant Village

Administrator

Timothy J. Smith Chief of Police

Mike Kuryla Fire Chief

Joseph Wagner Public Works

Superintendent

Ellen Hurley Deputy Village Clerk

Anita Arroyo Berkeley Matters

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Berkeley Scholarships Awarded

The Village of Berkeley is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s Berkeley scholarships. Each year, the Village awards two $500 scholarships to two graduating seniors who excel both in the classroom and within the community of Berkeley.

This year, the Village of Berkeley is proud to support the academic futures of Ms. Kayla Wilson and Ms. Sonali Rajput! This is a great step in the right direction and you are making us proud. The Berkeley community wishes you the best in your college years and much success.

Congratulations and good luck to you both as you embark on your college journey. We are proud of each of you.

Join us for upcoming events and becoming a member!

We have been busy growing our community for another fruitful season. Welcoming new members and thankful for rescue dogs founding forever homes, local clubs and their missions, and folks gathering in high spirits!

Our members and plot gardeners have been enjoying the benefits of their healthy, pesticide-free, locally grown produce. As has become

our tradition, we have grown in our sharing gardens, children’s garden, and personal plots, crops specifically for donating to a number local food pantries servicing Berkeley residents and neighbors in need. Being driven to help build a robust Berkeley community, by working cooperatively with local organizations as a group hosting educational and social gatherings. Let’s have fun together, promote health, civic participation as well as community building.

Look for us at upcoming events like the Berkeley Public library September Social and Salsa Contest, the Berkeley Fire Department will be judging!

We also invite all to participate in the BCGC Annual Harvest Fest from noon- 3:00 p.m. Take part in the FUN! Come out and spend some time with us. Build your wellness. For more info about membership or upcoming events contact us and join us in our mission:

“Promoting education and awareness of the environment for the health and well-being of the community.”

berkeleycommunitygardenclub@comcast.net

@BerkeleyGardenClub (630) 481-6442

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VILLAGE HALL 5819 Electric Avenue

Berkeley IL, 60163

OFFICE HOURS Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Telephone: 708-449-8840

FAX: 708-449-6189

POLICE DEPARTMENT 5819 Electric Avenue

Berkeley IL, 60163

Emergency Phone: 911

Non-Emergency Phone: 708-449-8224

FAX: 708-449-8660

FIRE DEPARTMENT 5819 Electric Avenue

Berkeley IL, 60163

Emergency Phone: 911

Non-Emergency Phone: 708-449-9444

FAX: 708-449-2557

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT 1201 Wolf Rd.

Berkeley IL, 60163

Telephone: 708-449-8840

FAX: 708-449-6189

The American Legion and the Auxiliary hope that everyone has been having a great summer with lots of things growing in your gardens!

Some of our Auxiliary Juniors have been working on a bag decorating project for Fisher House and Hines Hospital. If some of the other Juniors would like to participate please let us know.

The Legion and Village of Berkeley are planning and participating in the Veteran's Day activities. This year is the 100th year anniversary of Armistice Day; the end of World War I.

With the upcoming holidays the Legion is also planning on participating in the Berkeley Adopt-A-Tree decorating contest in the park by the Prairie Path. Be an active part of the community and join in.

Congratulations to our May, June and July Beautify Berkeley winners:

May June July

MOVIES IN THE PARK RETURNS THIS SEPTEMBER!

7th

14th

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Publice Works Department

The Water Meter Replacement Project began May 1, 2018. Public Works staff has now completed two passes through the south end of town between Butterfield Rd. and Electric Avenue and will continue working north.

Please remember that a Public Works staff member will attempt to make contact at your home during the day to replace the water meter. Each visit may take up to 30 minutes to complete, during which the water may be shut off for about 15 minutes.

If a resident or business owner is not available when a staff member arrives, a letter detailing a request for appointments will be left behind. Public Works will make visits Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. In the future, we will seek to schedule Saturday appointments once a month between 8:00 a.m. and noon.

All staff members will be carrying Village identification cards and will be driving Village of Berkeley vehicles. If you have any concern before letting staff into your home, please feel free to call the Village at 708-449-8840. This is the ONLY telephone number that will be used during this project.

This has been a busy summer for Berkeley Neighborhood Watch! Some of our activities included sponsoring an event with the help of Magnificent Mutts followed by Music in the Park, National Night Out and being present at the Berkeley Family Fun Fest.

Be sure to attend our next meeting on September 12, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. which will feature a program with the Illinois Attorney General’s office. They will discuss rip-offs especially aimed at seniors and the disadvantaged and how to avoid them.

The Board will introduce the candidacy of Amber Horton as Secretary/Social Media Director. Please be present and cast your vote for Amber!

Congratulations on new block captain Darrell Marino, resident of the 5600 block of Bohlander Avenue.

If you wish to apply for a block captain’s position, contact Officer Len Norek at 708-449-8226, for an application, a training guide and, after your approval, a credential badge. BNW thanks Officer Norek, for his invaluable assistance to our group.

The IRS has recently granted us 501(c)(3) status so your donations are now tax-deductible.

Remember to display our new decals which can be obtained at the Library, Village Hall and Police Station.

berkeleyneighborhoodwatch 5

GOOD TO KNOW

Tornado Sirens are tested on the first Tuesday of

each month

Board Meetings are scheduled for the first and

third Tuesday of each month and are held in the Village Hall Bicentennial

Room at 6:30 p.m.

Plan Commission / ZBA Meetings are scheduled

for the fourth Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m.

Economic Development Commission Meetings are scheduled for the second Thursday of each month

at 6:30 p.m.

When your side of town is scheduled for Brush Pick-Up, it is also your turn for

Recycling Pick-Up

BY THE NUMBERS

Roy Strom (Refuse, Recycling and Yard Waste)

708-344-5000

ComEd (Electrical Provider)

1-800-EDISON1

Nicor (Natural Gas Provider)

1-888-642-6748

Proviso Township Residents Assistance

708-449-4300

At this point in the year, most are not thinking of heating their homes. Soon enough we will need to set our thermostat to remove that fall chill that will emerge during the late afternoon or overnight when we wake up to start our days.

Having the creature comfort of the climate-controlled home poses some risk when the furnace or boiler has not had regular yearly maintenance. Contact your heating, ventilation and air conditioning contractor to provide a thorough evaluation of your heating system before the weather begins cool off.

Below are four very basic tasks that are easy to accomplish without any expertise to help maintain safe heating practices:

1. CHANGE YOUR AIR FILTERChange your air filter no more that every three months. A dirty air filter willresult in performance, efficiency, and overall safety issues including furnacefailure.

2. ANNUAL FURNACE CHECK UPHaving your furnace checked for Carbon Monoxide leaks, frayed electricalwires and cleaned out will help avoid safety hazards.

3. TEST YOUR CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORSIf your furnace is not functioning correctly, one of the largest dangers that existis improper combustion that may result in the production of the odorless,colorless, and potentially deadly release of CO. There is no way to detect thisis happening without a functioning CO detector. There are some physicalissues that people may notice such light-headedness, nausea, vomiting,confusion, and feeling tired. At times, these signs and symptom go unnoticedespecially by children and the elderly. So invest in carbon monoxide detectorsfor your property. One on every level of the property. In multifamily dwellings,each unit will require a working CO detector.

4. KEEP THE AREA AROUND YOUR FURNACE AND HOT WATER HEATER CLEANA good rule to follow is the (RULE OF 3s). Keep items away three feet in alldirections from any fuel or natural gas fed devices to avoid an unintentionalfire. Do not store flammable liquids nearby. The fumes from flammableliquids lie low to the floor and may ignite when the furnace or hot waterheaters pilot activates.

If there are, any questions contact the Berkeley Fire Prevention Bureau 708-234-2645.

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The Village of Berkeley, in partnership with the Berkeley Park District, is happy to announce the return and expansion of its Adopt-A-Christmas Tree event for the December 1, 2018 Holiday Festival. Registration forms will be available at Village Hall on November 1st for the adoption of a limited number of Christmas trees to be lined up along the Prairie Path located across from Village Hall.

Interested community groups, families or businesses can adopt a tree for $40 until November 16th (which will include lights and initial set-up) once the trees are available for decoration a Village representative will email participants. Local families are encouraged to participate!

All adopted trees must be decorated by Saturday, December 1st at 3:00 PM. and will be illuminated as part of the tree lighting scheduled between 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM. Decorated trees will then be judged by attendees and recognized that evening.

What a summer for the Berkeley Citizen’s Police Association (BCPA)!

Even with temperatures of 90 degrees, BCPA hosted our first Bicycle Safety Course in the parking lot of Sunnyside Elementary School. The Bicycle Safety Event would not have been a success without the cooperation of IL Secretary of State’s two representatives from Defensive Driver Division, Kathleen Widmer and Sheila Hallinan, Police Chief Timothy J. Larem, Commander and officers of the Berkeley Police Department and Kevin Grochowski Principal of the School.

Kathleen and Sheila designed the routes and our BCPA member and Neighborhood Watch president, Tim Carpenter made a magnificent pavement layout. Thanks Tim! And thanks to all who volunteered, including library director Ryan Cox. BCPA plans to host this event again in the fall and spring.

The National Night Out was a success last Tuesday, August 7, where BCPA was collaborating with the Police Department, to enhance the relationship between our neighbors and law enforcement in a great camaraderie environment.

This year again, BCPA and Neighborhood Watch joined forces to participate in the Berkeley Family Fun Fest with a Charity Bingo where more than 30 gifts from our sponsors and cash prizes were also given. BCPA was selling grilled Hot Dogs throughout the event, thanks to our grill master, Gustavo Villafaña.

Now, BCPA invites all our neighbors in Berkeley to Movie in the Park presenting The Sting, which is the next event sponsored by BCPA where we will have Popcorn and other goodies on September 14, as a farewell to the summer celebrations of Village of Berkeley. As soon as the dates are available for the next Citizen’s Police Academy class we will release them. Don’t forget to participate with us at the Holiday Tree lighting.

Thanks again to members, volunteers, sponsors and our police liaison Office Kevin Manetti.

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SEPTEMBER 2018 Sept. 03 Village Hall Closed Sept. 04 Board Meeting – 6:30 p.m.

Brush Pick Up West of Taft Avenue Sept. 07 Garbage Pick Up Due to Holiday

Recycling West of Taft Avenue Movie in the Park Despicble Me 3 @ Dusk

Sept. 10 Brush Pick Up East of Taft Avenue. Sept. 12 Neighbohood Watch Meeting @ 6:30 p.m. Sept. 13 Recycling East of Taft Avenue Sept. 14 Movie in the Park The Sting @ Dusk (7 p.m.) Sept. 17 Brush Pick Up West of Taft Avenue Sept. 18 Board Meeting – 6:30 p.m. Sept. 20 Recycling West of Taft Avenue Sept. 24 Brush Pick Up East of Taft Avenue

Adjudication Hearing – 2:00 p.m Sept. 27 Recycling East of Taft Avenue

OCTOBER 2018 Oct. 01 Brush Pick Up West of Taft Avenue Oct. 02 Board Meeting – 6:30 p.m. Oct. 04 Recycling West of Taft Avenue Oct. 08 Brush Pick Up East of Taft Avenue Oct. 11 Recycling East of Taft Avenue Oct. 15 Brush Pick Up West of Taft Avenue Oct. 16 Board Meeting – 6:30 p.m. Oct. 18 Recycling West of Taft Avenue Oct. 22 Brush Pick Up East of Taft Avenue Oct. 25 Recycling East of Taft Avenue Oct. 29 Brush Pick Up West of Taft Avenue

Adjudication Hearing – 2:00 p.m. Oct. 31 Trick-o-Treating 3:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m.

NOVEMBER 2018 Nov. 01 Recycling West of Taft Avenue Nov. 05 Brush Pick Up East of Taft Avenue Nov. 06 Board Meeting – 6:30 p.m. Nov. 08 Reycling East of Taft Avenue Nov. 12 Village Hall Closed Nov. 13 Brush Pick Up West of Taft Avenue Nov. 14 Neighbor Hood Watch Meeting @ 6:30 p.m. Nov. 15 Recycling West of Taft Avenue Nov. 19 Brush Pick Up East of Taft Avenue Nov. 20 Board Meeting – 6:30 p.m. Nov. 22, 23 Village Hall Closed Nov. 23 Garbage Pick Up Due to Holiday

Recycling East of Taft Avenue Nov. 26 Last Brush Pick Up Entire Town Nov. 29 Last Yard Waste Pick Up Entire Town

Recycling West of Taft Avenue

Holiday Closures The Berkeley Public Library will be closed on Labor Day, September 3rd and Thanksgiving break, November 22nd & 23rd.

Election Day Polling Place on November 6th, 6 a.m.-7 p.m.

September Social: September 8th, 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Celebrate another successful Summer Reading Program with ice cream treats. Meet your neighbors and groups from the community, and more! Ice cream, Laser Comedy Show and Square Dance!

Annual Fall Sale: October 6th, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Join the Library for its fourth annual book sale, bake sale, and bazaar. Featuring local vendors, delicious baked goods, used books and DVDs, and amazing raffle prizes. Free coffee and apple cider just for stopping in.

NEW at the BPL: STEAM Science Kits! S.T.E.A.M. Science Kits have been added to our collection through an IEEE Chicago Section grant. Kit topics include chemistry, electronics, engineering, and more. They can be checked out with your library card.

Fall Programs PLEASE CONTACT US FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF PROGRAMS

- After School at the Library: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays starting September 4th, 3:30-5 p.m. BPL is offering drop-in homework help and an array of fun activities for kids, including Pokémon gaming, Wii gaming, LEGO building, game design, Puzzle days, Chess and Checkers days, and Science workshops.

- Salsa Saboreo: Saturday, September 29th, 1 p.m. The Berkeley Public Library and the Garden Club present Berkeley’s first Salsa Competition. Sign up to compete or drop in to taste the entries. Our friendly neighborhood firemen will judge.

- Coffee with a Cop: Wednesday, October 3rd, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Enjoy a free cup of coffee and get to know your neighborhood officers.

- Women in the Military: Saturday, November 10th at 1 p.m. The Journey to Mollie’s War: WAC’s and World War II presented by author Cyndee Schaffer, with memorabilia on display.

- Illinois 200th Bicentennial Bingo - Monday, November 19th at 6:30 p.m. Bingo for both Kids and Adults.

- Create Club – September 28th, October 26th, November 30th at 4:30 p.m. for teens and tweens! Try new crafts that they might not be able to at home. Ages 10 and up. Registration required.

Berkeley Public Library 1637 Taft Avenue – Berkeley IL, 60163Phone: 708-544-6017 / FAX: 708-544-7551 www.berkeleypl.org

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