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major fund-raiser,” Sline said. “All money raised goes directly to help buy food for the pantry, which we give out every month to more than 800 fami-lies.”

The last day to pur-chase tickets is October 14. For tick-ets, call Pantry Director Vicki Sline or Annette Ellis at 748-6722.

signed and framed photo of White Sox Coach Ozzie Guil-lon. Another is a shadow box from the Glenn Ford Li-brary that includes a signed picture of the legendary ac-tor and one of his personally tailored shirts with his named imprinted on the inner col-lar. There’s also a Giclee art piece from Ethan Allen titled “Zero Mo-ment II.”

“We hope this will be our best show ever,” said Pantry Director Vicki Sline. “We have wonderful fashions and a wonderful silent auction. This year’s theme is winter, so winter clothing will be featured.”

Fashions will be provided by Carson Pirie Scott, Bach-rach, J.C. Penny, Kluger Furs, Leather House, Maxine’s, Old Navy and Rainbows.

As in past years Debo-rah Kimball Crosslin will moderate, providing her usual hilarious commen-tary throughout the fashion show.

“The event is the Pantry’s

Fellow Rich Township Residents,

Hope. Promise. Belief. These are more than just words, they are affir-mative statements. These are state-ments which bind communities and regions together. Indeed, they can, and must bind a country together.

As we move into the Fall of 2008, America is experiencing a severe eco-nomic crisis, primarily in the housing and credit markets. Rich Township and our constituent communities were not immune to the adverse ef-fects of these issues. We have experi-enced natural disasters; namely our tornado, severe storms and recent flooding. But, as you have come to expect over the years, Rich Township was there for you.

There was an extraordinary in-crease in the demand for food in this fiscal year to date. The Food Pantry did a tremendous job in meeting that demand, providing services to more people. They accomplished this, even in the midst of severe shortages at the regional food depositories and severe budget cuts at the state level.

The Assessors’ office has helped scores of Township residents with successful tax appeals which have helped not only individual taxpayers, but entire subdivisions.

The Office of the Supervisor de-clared the Township a disaster area of Cook County during the recent se-

vere storms and flooding. Through the auspices of the State Representatives’ office, I then worked with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to insure a State declaration. At press time, we are awaiting the granting of a Federal disaster area declaration for Cook County. This would poten-tially make Federal funds available to qualified residents. During these disasters, ESDA and the Highway De-partment responded with a watchful and diligent eye over the township. These services were provided around the clock in both incorporated and unincorporated areas.

In addition, the Office of the State Representative and Rich Township recently co-sponsored a Social Ser-vices Fair at Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills. This fair brought together 27 agencies to provide infor-mational and direct services to con-stituents throughout the 38th District. This successful fair will be held again next year. Both attendees and service providers alike thought that the fair served as a needed balm to soothe the needs of the constituents during these trying times. This kind of advo-cacy and innovative services can only come from staff and officials who are caring, knowledgeable profession-als. Trust is engendered from institu-tions and people who have met the test of time. It is heartening to hear of the trust that you have in us. In

these days, at this time, that is the y a rd s t i ck that all in-s t i tu t ions and pub-lic officials should be judged by.

H o p e , p r o m i s e and belief. Through it all, these are very ex-citing and hopeful times. On Novem-ber 4th, we will elect a new leader of this nation. This election is of his-toric significance. This election will, arguably, affect the fortunes, image and influence of this country like none other in history. Be a part this election; be a part of history. Exer-cise your right and be sure to vote on November 4th or take advantage of early voting. Thank you for allowing us to serve you.

I’m glad to be here.

Sincerely,

Al RileyAl Riley, AICPRich Township Supervisor

A Message From Supervisor Al Riley

Supervisor Al Riley

Fashion Show fundraiser to benefit Pantry

The Rich Township Food Pantry’s 18th annual Fall Fashion Show fund-raiser will take place on Sunday, Oc-tober 19, starting at 12:30 p.m., at the Tinley Park Holiday Inn Convention Center.

Tickets are $35, which includes a delicious sit-down luncheon, a fash-ion show, and a silent auction with hundreds of quality items, door prizes and raffles.

Some of the auction items include valuable artwork and jewelry, luxuri-ous gift baskets, perfume, children’s toys, rare sports memorabilia, gift cer-tificates to day spas, health clubs and Sybaris, and numerous restaurant/museum/theatre packages.

One of the prized auction items is a

Vicki Sline, director of the Pantry of Rich Township, holds up one of the many original artworks that will be sold during a live auction at the Pantry’s an-nual Fashion Show fund-raiser on October 19 at the Tinley Park Holiday Inn Convention Center.

A signed and framed photo of White Sox Coach Ozzie Guillon is one of the live auction items.

Another auction item is a bead-ed velvet purse with mink pons by Kluger Furs of Flossmoor and Orland Park.

2 Rich Township RepoRT Fall 2008

Holiday craft and bake sale

Fresh produce available for low-income families

The public is invited to a Holi-day Craft Bazaar and Bake Sale on Friday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Shirley J. Green Senior Center, 297 Liberty Drive, downtown Park Forest.

The Senior Center welcomes any crafter or baker to join us for a delightful day. If you are inter-ested in selling your items, please call the center at 748-5454. Tables are offered free of charge, and

your profit is your own. This ba-zaar and bake sale is designated for handmade or home-baked items only

Participants who would like to eat lunch in the CNN/SSA Café (for-merly CNN Senior Dining) should make a reservation by calling 747-2700 in advance. A hot noon lunch will be served for a donation of $2. Coffee and goodies will be served throughout the day.

The Park Forest Health Department will ad-minister Flu and Pneumonia shots on Thurs-day, October 23, from 9 a.m. to noon, at the Shirley J. Green Senior Center, 297 Liberty Drive, Park Forest. These shots are free with Medicare Part B. Medicare pays for one Pneumonia shot after the age of 65. Please wear short sleeve shirts or easily accessible shirts. You must bring your Medicare card. Call 748-5454 to make a reservation.

Flu shots atSenior Center

Sally Fuhrmann (center) celebrated 25 years as director of Rich Township’s Senior Center in September. With Sally is her staff (from left) Cathy Gallus, Commodore Edmond, Joyce Johnson, Toni Brucker, Candi Kleindorfer and Mary Pellegrini.

Rich Township Supervisor Al Riley sponsored a Social Services Fair at Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills on September 6. With Riley are State Senator Maggie Crotty (seated) and June Burnette of Country Club Hills. The intent of the fair was to provide information about the many government and community-based social services available to residents during these tough economic times.

Township Supervisor Al Riley and officials of the Township are offering seniors and disabled resi-dents free transportation during the holiday season for their shop-ping needs.

Free transportation will be pro-vided for shopping only, from Mon-day, December 8 through Friday, December 23, for Rich Township seniors and residents who are dis-abled.

Call 748-6727 at least one hour in advance to reserve a ride. In order for the Township to accom-modate all of its customers, please limit parcels to only two packag-es per ride during this very busy season.

Bus service free for

holidays

Free bus tour ofholiday lightsThe Rich Township Transpor-

tation Department will be of-fering a free bus tour on Friday, December 12 to view the Christ-mas lights in the area. The trip is for Township seniors and residents who are disabled. Call 748-6727 to make a reservation by Tues-day, December 9. Before the tour, Commissioner Calvin Jordan of the Highway Department will host a holiday recep-tion for the participants.

Debbie Pascarella, Rich Township Deputy Clerk, is congratulated by (from left) WGN newscaster Robert Jordan, Cook County Clerk David Orr, and Rich Township Administrator Tim Bradford.

Debbie Pascarella, Rich Town-ship Deputy Clerk, was recognized by Cook County Clerk David Orr for her outstanding work as an Election Judge Coordinator.

WGN News anchor Robert Jor-dan presented Pascarella with her award during the 2008 Election Judge Recognition Ceremony on September 10 at the Cook County Office Administration Building in downtown Chicago.

Pascarella was honored for her

exceptional work as a liaison be-tween the Cook County Election Department and County election judges.

“I enjoy working with Cook County and the various judges and seeing a successful election,” she said.

Pascarella was one of only two recipients to receive the Township Coordinators Award. She serves as Deputy Clerk under Rich Township Clerk Bobbie G. King.

County honors Pascarella for outstanding service

The Greater Chicago Food De-pository offers a Fresh Produce Day for low-income residents on the first Wednesday of every month, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in the transportation garage of Rich Township, 22013 Gov-ernors Hwy., Richton Park. All

south suburban residents in need are eligible to pick up a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. The next Fresh Produce Days are No-vember 5, December 3 and Janu-ary 7. Call Pantry Director Vicki Sline at 748-6722 for more infor-mation.

Fall 2008 Rich Township RepoRT 3

Resale shopping trip Nov. 14

Apply for passportsat Rich Township Office

Learn about good nutrition

Rich Township Clerk Bobbie King with bags of clothing ready to be donated to Tabitha Clothing Pantry in Park Forest.

Years ago, Rich Township Clerk Bobbie King remembers seeing a young woman standing in the snow at a Chicago bus stop with her baby wrapped in her coat. The infant’s tiny bare hands were hanging out of his mother’s coat.

“I stood there in tears,” said King, who works as a victim advocate with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office at the Markham Courthouse. “I asked her if she didn’t mind if I gave her a few dollars so she could buy mittens for the baby.”

That day, King made a promise to herself to do everything she could to make sure children and adults in need have hats, scarves and gloves to keep them warm through the winter. King made good on her promise. She is currently one of the biggest donors to the Tabitha Clothing Pantry of the First Baptist Church, located at 80 N. Orchard Drive in Park Forest.

The Tabitha Pantry provides clothing and some household items to very low-income residents of the south suburbs. Tabitha opens its doors on the first Saturday of each month for disadvantaged area resi-dents to come in and select what they need.

King, a longtime resident of Country Club Hills, also donates to south suburban PADS shelters.

“Around October, when the weather starts changing, I start thinking about the homeless and

begin buying mittens and hats,” she said. “I put fliers up at work. I col-lect from my staff. The attorneys at the courthouse bring me all kinds of stuff—clothes, boots, new mat-tresses. Some give me money so I can buy mittens. I also collect small toiletries for the homeless.”

Some of King’s most generous donors at the courthouse include Assistant State’s Attorneys Mary Lou Norwell, Alisha Burns, Nancy Colet-ti and Mary Kent Duffy.

“Mary Lou has a group of teens from her neighborhood collect clothes and she delivers them to me,” King said. “Alisha is one of my biggest collectors.”

King said she also gives Tabitha House a personal monetary dona-tion at Christmas.

“It’s like my birthday present to Jesus,” King said.

Sandra Richards, director of Tabitha Clothing Pantry, said King “brought in so many hats, gloves and scarves last year, that we’re set for this year.” She described King as “one of our biggest contributors and we are so grateful to her.”

Tabitha Clothing Pantry accepts donations of clothing, pots, pans, linens, towels, and occasionally fur-niture. Tabitha has been in opera-tion for 20 years. The clothing pan-try asks for proof of income from area residents seeking donations. For more information, call Richards at 748-2566.

King makes sure children have

gloves this winter

A registered dietician from the National Aging in Place Council will visit the Senior Center on Tuesday, October 21 at 10 a.m. to present a seminar on proper nutrition. Participants will come away with new ideas and information that will help them enjoy a higher quality of life. Call 748-5454 to make a reservation. Refreshments will be served.

Receiving awards during the Minority Business Expo’s African Gown Ceremony were (from left) Rich Township Supervisor Al Riley; Robert L. Wharton of CEDA; Josephine E. Franklin, of the Seaton Franklin Foundation; Precious Luster of Luster Products, and Andre Hughes of Accenture.

Richton Park President Rick Reinbold (third from right), along with Trustees Valerie Babka, Benjamin Hughes, Sharon Kriha and Village Manager Motiryo Keambiroiro, present a sym-bolic check to Supervisor Al Riley, and the Rich Township Board of Trustees for $59,992.58. The surplus funds were disbursed to the Township from the Village’s Crossings redevelopment area, a Tax Increment Financing District.

Passports are now required for all travel outside the continental limits of the United States.

The Rich Township Clerk’s Office is a Passport Acceptance Facility and is currently processing passport applica-tions.

All the forms necessary to apply for a passport are available at the Town-ship Office, 22013 Governors Hwy., Richton Park.

The total processing fee is $100 for individuals 16 years of age or older; and $85 for children under the age of 16. The fees and requirements are exactly the same at all passport accep-tance facilities.

Processing takes approximately 4-6 weeks from the date of application.

An applicant must bring in proof of

The Rich Township Transportation Department is offering a Resale Shop trip on Friday, November 14. Participants must be Township residents. They will be picked up at their home in the morning. Lunch is at the Old Country Buffet in Matteson and will be paid for by shoppers. After lunch, there will be more shopping and browsing through various local shops. The cost of the trip is $7, which covers the cost of transportation. Call 748-6727 by November 10 to make a reservation.

citizenship, such as a certified copy of a birth certificate; two headshot photos against a white background; and iden-tification, such as a driver’s license or state identification.

The U.S. Department of State now requires everyone, including children, to appear in person at the passport fa-cility.

Passports are processed 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; and 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Call Deputy Clerk Debbie Pas-carella at 748-6722 for more informa-tion.

4 Rich Township RepoRT Fall 2008

Road District assists with tornado cleanup, street flooding

Important news about your property taxes

Rich Township Supervisor Carol Ranieri (second from right), with her staff (from left) Deputy Assessor Pam Barton, Dee Marnell and Laurent. Staff member LaRaine McMu-tuary is not pictured.

November 3 is the due date for the 2007 Second Installment Tax Bills (payable this fall), according to the Cook County Treasurer’s website. The Treasurer’s office will mail the tax bills at least 30 days prior to the due date. These bills may be paid at any Chase Bank lo-cation.Exemptions

If you have not applied for or did not receive your exemptions on the 2007 Second Installment tax bill, you still have time to file. My office can assist you in filing a Certificate of Error so that you will receive a corrected bill from Cook County Assessor’s Office. The time of filing the Certificate of Error will depend on whether you will be able to pay a corrected bill or if you will have to wait for a refund to be issued.Reassessment

In early to mid-December, Rich Township property owners should receive reassessment notices from the Cook County Assessor’s Office reflecting the Assessor’s estimate of the property values in Rich Town-ship as of January 1, 2008. The mar-ket values of reassessment notices are often understated and may not reflect what your house would ac-

tually sell for. Given the recent news stories

about the slowdown in the housing market, any increase in assessed values may come as a surprise to homeowners. But homeowners should understand that the effective date of Rich Township’s last reas-sessment was January 1, 2005. For 2 (two) years after that date, Rich Township home prices increased in value. It was not until 2007 that the median sale price of Rich Township homes reflected a slowdown in the housing market. Thus, any increas-es in Rich Township assessed val-ues have come about because the 2007 slowdown did not erase the gains from 2005 and 2006.

Dramatic tax increases are less likely to happen this time around, thanks to the decline in the growth rate of housing values as well as legislation designed to protect ho-meowners from large tax increas-es.

Before and during a reassess-ment, there are many questions that are asked regarding the pro-cess the taxpayers need to follow to file an appeal. A successful as-sessment appeal will reduce an in-dividual property owner’s share of

the local tax burden, resulting in a lower tax bill.

Here are answers to questions that taxpayers frequently ask our office:Q: Does the Cook County Asses-sor know the size and character-istics of my property?A: Yes. The Cook County Assessor maintains a characteristics file on each property.Q: What do I do if I feel my as-sessment is too high? A: File an appeal. Assessment ap-peals seek to reduce a property’s assessed valuation by claiming that the assessment is unfair or inaccu-rate.Q: Can a condominium owner ap-peal their assessment? A: Yes, but the condominium asso-ciation appealing on behalf of the entire building/buildings is more apt to succeed. Generally each unit is assessed in proportion to the building’s total value.Q: How do I appeal my assess-ment? A: My office can help you prepare the evidence that you will need to support your appeal and can also file the appeal for you. The Cook County Assessor’s office accepts appeals once a year during an an-nounced 30-day period. If you miss the appeal period or dispute the as-sessor’s decision, the Cook County Board of Review also accepts ap-peals in an announced period ev-ery year.Q: What are the grounds for an assessment appeal? A: There are 2 (two) main types of appeals for residential property: • Lack of uniformity. The basic rule

of property assessment is that similar properties should be as-sessed similarly. To substantiate such an appeal, it is necessary to find properties comparable to yours that have lower assessed values. Homes that are the same model as the subject, in the same sub-division and approximately the same square footage are gen-

erally, the best comparables. • Errors in property characteristics.

Every residential property has a set of characteristics, which de-termine the property’s assessed valuation. If there are mistakes in the characteristics, an appeal may be filed to correct the mis-take and possibly reduce your assessed valuation. Note: Not all mistakes in the characteristics will lead to a reduction in your assessed valuation, but it can be worthwhile to correct any mis-takes.

Q: What information is needed to file an appeal?A: If you have recently purchased a home, we will need your settlement statement/closing statement, plat of survey to calculate your square footage, and addresses of houses within your neighborhood/subdivi-sion that are the same or similar to yours.

When you receive your reassess-ment notice, it will show the old and new assessed values and the characteristics of your home. You will have 30 days from the date of the mailing in which to file a com-plaint. The property tax bill chang-es resulting from the 2008 reassess-ment will not appear on your tax bill until Fall 2009.

The Rich Township Assessor’s Office can help you with filing your complaint. The Assessor’s Office can be reached at 748-6722, Mon-day through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Wednesdays until 7 p.m. In order to provide taxpayers with extra help in filing their appeals, the Rich Township Assessor’s Office will also be open on Tuesday and Thursday nights until 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Please call for an appointment for the late night and Saturday hours after you receive your reassess-ment notice. The extended hours will start when the assessments are mailed and end after the 30-day fil-ing period.

The Rich Township Road District assisted homeowners in the after-math of the June 7 tornado that tore through Richton Park and unincor-porated areas of the Rich Township. The Road District staff assisted with the removal of downed trees and branch pick up.

Meanwhile, the Road District re-cently installed storm drainage on 192nd Street and Central Park Ave-nue. This infrastructure project has helped the area with water flow and the proper movement of storm water.

On September 14, the unincor-porated area of Rich Township was hit with a heavy downpour, which resulted in the accumulation of

more than 11 inches of rain. Road District staff members immediately notified residents and blocked off areas where there was standing water. Commissioner Calvin Jordan commended his staff for reacting quickly and effectively in the af-termath of the downpour. Jordan commended Road Foreman Horace Smith, employee Jason Sline and Jayde Winters, assistant to the Com-missioner, for their dedicated ser-vice to the residents of Rich Town-ship.

Lastly, the District is preparing for its annual SWAP Cleanup Day in October. All interested volunteers may contact Jayde Winters at (708) 228-5050.

Rich Township Highway Commissioner Calvin Jordan stands on a newly installed drainage sys-tem on 192nd Street and Central Park Avenue.

Fall 2008 Rich Township RepoRT 5

Seniors help each other at Lawrence Manor

Rich Township’s goal: To help the people

During a thank-you luncheon honoring Senior Companions, retiring companion Rosa Gra-ham, 94 (front), is congratulated by (from left) Senior Companion Project Director Commo-dore Edmond, Rich Township Administrator Tim Bradford, Township Trustee Therese Goodrich, Charles Johnson of the Illinois Department of Aging, and James Watts, Senior Corps Program Specialist Director.

According to Rich Township Administrator Tim Bradford, the statistics listed below report how many citizens have used Rich Township services from January through September 2008.

Township buses transported 56,245 riders from January through September 2008.

The Food Pantry provided food for 4,840 families or 10,865 individuals from Janu-ary through September 2008.

The Rich Township Assessor’s Office pro-vided tax assistance to about 900 people and had over 1400 phone calls from Janu-ary through September 2008.

The Rich Township Clerk’s Office provided the following services for the second quarter ( January through September of 2008):

Registered 151 individuals to vote. Processed 157 passport applications. Assisted 96 people in obtaining permanent disabled parking placards.Issued 33 temporary disabled parking placards.Provided free Notary Public service. Issued 772 Cook County vehicle stickers to residents of unincorporated Cook County.

Rich Township Senior Center statistics

A total of 28,741 participated in senior services and activities in 2007. The breakdown is as follows:

In-Home Service Clients: 472 servedCase Management Contacts: 2,434 contactsHome-delivered Meals: 3,603 meals delivered

Participation increased in the following senior activities:Movie: 201Flexercise classes: 2,702Cards: 401Needlework class: 203Art class: 234Jewelry class: 61Health Screening: 300Monthly trip: 402Podiatrist: 452Blood pressure: 1,061AARP Safe Driving class: 103Rules of the Road: 64

Line Dancing: 611Senior Chorus: 138Walking Club: 75Yoga: 223

Special Senior Programs:Hawaiian Luau (July 18): 85Stimulus Assistance (July 25): 25Circuit Breaker help (July 3): 16Lifeline Screening (July 29): 26Norman Rockwell Presentation: 28

Tim Bradford Township Administrator

Linda Bailey, a resident of Law-rence Manor senior housing, takes fellow resident Myrtle Johnson to the grocery store and doctor’s ap-pointments since Myrtle no longer drives. Sometimes they go out and eat lunch at JM Michaels or Ap-plebee’s.

Through the Senior Compan-ion Program administered by Rich Township, eight volunteer residents of Lawrence Manor visit homebound or frail senior citizens who live in the same building. Each Senior companion has four clients in the building, bringing the total number of seniors served at Law-rence Manor to 34.

Senior companions are healthy older adults who help other se-niors live independently by pro-viding assistance with other daily errands. They also socialize with seniors, transport them to doctor’s appointments, and alert doctors and family members to potential health problems.

The program is free of charge to seniors 60 years of age and older who show a need for the service. Rich Township administers the fed-eral program for the entire Cook County suburban area.

Linda has been a Senior com-panion for two years.

“When I retired as a chef, I got bored and this seemed like it would be fun,” Linda said.

Myrtle, meanwhile, said Linda is very essential in her life because she takes her where she needs to go.

“Right now, I don’t have a car,” Myrtle said. “So this is very conve-nient. It gives me a chance to get out. When I had a car, I got out a lot. This helps me get around. Lin-da takes me to the grocery, to my doctor—and we eat out.”

Linda has four clients in Law-rence Manor. She visits each of them one day a week for four

hours. “All my clients live in the build-

ing,” Linda said. “It’s convenient. And I like to drive. We can just start from here and go wherever we need to go. Sometimes we so-cialize in our apartments. We play cards, put puzzles together, or sit and gab about politics or current events.”

“Or we talk about our kids and grandkids and how we wish we had more money,” Myrtle adds with a laugh.

Connie Cantrell, director of Lawrence Manor, said the program “gives seniors an opportunity to socialize and to go out. Without the program, some seniors would be confined to their home. We have one woman confined to a wheelchair. Her companion gives her a chance to get out. She really enjoys that. We could always use more senior companions. We’re on a waiting list now. At least five more residents have requested companions.”

Cantrell said the Senior Com-panion Program “builds strong re-lationships, which is good for the residents because sometimes that’s all they have.”

According to Cantrell, she, too, is a beneficiary of the Senior Com-panion Program. A companion vis-its her husband Charles while she’s at work.

“That helps me because I don’t have to take off work when he needs to go to the doctor. Since he’s had a companion, I haven’t missed so many days at work. The com-panion takes him fishing, to the barber, to lunch and to the senior center. It’s a wonderful program and it’s helped me tremendously.”

More information about the Se-nior Companion Program is with Senior Companion Program Direc-tor Commodore Edmond at 228-5038.

Senior Companion Linda Bailey (left) with Myrtle Johnson. Both are residents of Lawrence Manor in Matteson.

6 Rich Township RepoRT Fall 2008

Riley fights for communitydevelopment funding

Volunteers needed

E.S.D.A. provides help during tornado and flood

Rich Township Supervisor Al Riley and Township Trustee Man-ny Hoffman are fighting to obtain more funding to promote econom-ic and community development.

In his capacity as state repre-sentative, Riley sponsored a bill to secure $1.5 million in funding for the Cook County Tax Reactiva-tion Project. The program helps municipalities acquire clear title to abandoned or tax-delinquent properties through the No Cash Bid process. The acquired parcels can then return to the tax rolls af-ter effective marketing of the sites for commercial, industrial or resi-dential development.

Riley successfully passed the Tax Reactivation Project bill out of the House of Representatives. The measure is presently in the Senate Rules Committee. “During my prior service as a local elect-ed official, I actually saw the Tax Reactivation program at work—revitalizing abandoned proper-ties in different communities,” Ri-ley said. “The program helped to transform entire neighborhoods and got blighted properties back on the tax rolls. This bill will assist in helping communities flourish instead of decline. It’s an essential community and economic devel-opment tool that we need, espe-cially in the Southland.”

Riley said that when he found out the Tax Reactivation Proj-ect might not be renewed after its planned 2008 sunset date, he “worked on this bill with tunnel vision, trying to beat the filing deadline.”

Manny Hoffman, community relations director for the Cook County Tax Reactivation Project, said the passage of this bill “will mean communities in the south suburban area will have an instru-

ment to allow them the funding they need to take empty parcels of land and turn them into com-pleted parcels of taxable land for the community to use. Al Riley has worked behind the scenes with both Republican and Democratic lawmakers to get the present bill to where is today.”

Cook County Assessor James Houlihan thanked Riley and south suburban legislators “for their con-tinued hard work in trying to se-cure the critical funding needed for the continuation of the Cook County Tax Reactivation Project. This project has resulted in delin-quent properties being purchased, marketed and sold to responsible owners. It has not only contribut-ed to the local tax base in many areas of the county, but has also brought much needed jobs and a renewed sense of enthusiasm and pride back to communities.”

A plaza in Dixmoor was revitalized thanks to funding from the Cook County Tax Reactivation Project. The property on 147th Street and Western Avenue sat vacant for nearly 20 years before it was completely renovated and opened in June 2008.

Rich Township Supervisor Al Riley congratu-lates Pat Ransford, principal of Arcadia El-ementary school in Olympia Fields, upon be-ing named “Woman of the Year” by the Abby Foundation and receiving a grant award from the organization.

Rich Township E.S.D.A. officers were part of a law enforcement team that rapidly dispersed 1,200 festival-goers from the grounds of Matteson Fest only 35 minutes be-fore a tornado hit the South Sub-urbs on June 7.

Township E.S.D.A. Director John Ranieri had a brief meeting about the approaching storm with Mat-teson Police Chief Norm Burnson and a Matteson Fire Department lieutenant. The group decided to immediately send the festival-goers home, and within 10 minutes, the festival grounds were emptied.

Afterward, Ranieri, E.S.D.A. volunteer Sean Berry and other E.S.D.A. volunteers left the grounds and drove southwest of the Town-ship for a tornado watch.

“To our surprise, we found a tornado coming right toward us,” Ranieri said. “Sean Berry and I called SouthCom Central Dispatch to inform them of the approaching tornado and gave them a detailed description of the tornado’s direc-tion. We told them to inform Rich-ton Park Police and Fire that the tornado was heading right toward the southeast side of the Village.”

At approximately 6:35 p.m., the tornado struck Richton Park “ex-actly where we told them it would,” Ranieri said. Immediately after the tornado hit, all E.S.D.A. units con-verged on the stricken area to pro-

vide assistance to local police and fire departments.

“We brought in our Communica-tion Unit to start an incident com-mand center,” Ranieri said. “We called for help from the Suburban Mutual Aide Team—or S.M.A.R.T.—{consisting of 32 emergency orga-nizations from the northern Illinois area.} We ended up with at least 70 extra officers, six light units, and another communication unit. We stayed to help until 4 a.m. and returned at 8 a.m. to continue to assist local police. Rich Township E.S.D.A. had a total of eight units on the scene.”

Rich Township’s E.S.D.A. units also provided vital support to lo-cal police during the floods of Sep-tember 13 and 14. E.S.DA. assisted the villages of Richton Park, Mat-teson, Olympia Fields, Flossmoor and unincorporated Cook County. Rich Township Administrator Tim Bradford toured the flood areas for three hours with E.S.D.A. person-nel.

On August 24, Rich Township E.S.D.A. won three first place awards at the annual 2008 E.S.D.A. Fest. More than 30 E.S.D.A. units brought in their emergency vehi-cles and equipment for judging by a panel of experts. Rich Township received awards for its “Support Units,” “Mutual Aide,” and for “Best Lighting Unit.”

Rich Township E.S.D.A. Director John Ranieri shows the three awards won by his department during a recent regional E.S.D.A. Fest.

The Rich Township Senior Center is in need of volunteers to deliver meals-on-wheels to the homebound. You will be re-imbursed for mileage. Call Sally Fuhrmann at 748-5454.

The Senior Center also needs nurses to take blood pressure readings on Thursday mornings from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Rich Township Food Pantry needs volunteers willing to work at the Greater Chicago Food Depository once a month to help the Township Pantry earn credit dollars. Volunteers would work on twice a month. Transportation is provided. More information is with Vicki Sline at 748-6722.

Fall 2008 Rich Township RepoRT 7

A sincere thank you to ourGolf Outing sponsors

Hospital to continue quality emergency care

Title Sponsors - $2,500Kaleidoscope Group, LLCIngalls Health System

Dinner Sponsor - $1,500Great Lakes Bank

Beverage Cart Sponsor - $500Robbins Schwartz Nicholas Lifton & Taylor Ltd.

Lunch Sponsors - $250Manny & Judy HoffmanRich Township Commissioner Calvin JordanState Senator Maggie CrottyHope and Elliott Johnson

Hole Sponsors - $200State Representative Al RileyLincoln MallPark TowersVillage of Olympia FieldsBone & Joint PhysicianTehnologyville, Inc.Eugene Varnado & Parkman LLPPrairie State CollegeHeyward & JohnsonJames & Pamela Floyd McDonalds Corp. OfficeSt. John’s Faith United Church of ChristBimba Manufacturing CompanyVillage of MattesonWaltsRich Township Democratic Committeeman Tim BradfordState Farm – Mike JordanCochrane & Mueller LLPSutton FordGrand Prairie ServicesRevere ConsultingAT&T – Sam BalarkVillage of Park ForestEmil Mastandrea Architect, Inc.Kiwanis of Park ForestCook County Assessor James M. HoulihanCity of Country Club HillsCarpenters Local 434 & 272Robin Kelly Foundation

Rich Township Trustee Elliott Johnson (far right), Kenneth King of New Con-cepts Tutor Mentoring Connections (third from right), and fellow golfers were among the participants of the golf outing.

Sam Balark of AT&T (far right), Selma McDonald (second from left) and Eugene Varnado (third from left), came out to help the Township Pantry raise money for food.

Tim Mahler (left) and Tony Carollo of Great Lakes Bank (second from left), along with their golf team, were all smiles after a great game on the greens of the University Golf Club in University Park.

(From left) Steven Green, Greg Sline, Alan Green and Arnie Sline played their hearts out for the Food Pantry.

During a recent meeting at St. James Hospital, President Seth Warren assured Township Supervi-sor Al Riley, local mayors and village officials that south suburban residents will continue to receive high quality emergency care despite the hospital relinquishing its status as a Level 1 trauma cen-ter.

Supervisor Riley, who is also state representa-tive for the 38th Legislative District, organized the meeting to get a full understanding of St. James’ decision and to ensure that the public health needs of residents are addressed.

“I explained to Representative Riley and the other mayors and village managers the unfortu-nate reasons we are ceasing to provide trauma coverage,” Warren said. “I also explained the dif-ference between emergency care and trauma care and that St. James will continue to have a full ser-vice, comprehensive emergency department in both of our facilities.”

According to Warren, the term “trauma” speci-fies certain types of injuries, such as blunt force trauma or penetrating trauma, which includes bullet wounds.

Out of 71,000 visits to St. James emergency rooms in the last year, only about 1,000 were trau-ma cases, Warren said. This amounts to 1 1/2 per-cent of emergency room visits. There are about 85 transfers a year from other institutions, including Gary Methodist, he said.

Warren said there were operational as well as fiscal reasons for the hospital’s decision. St. James does not have all of the specialty physicians re-quired for state designation as a Level 1 trauma center. This is because specialty physicians who are in high demand relocate to more financial-ly lucrative geographic locations, or to Indiana, where the reimbursement rate and payment cy-cles by the state are better.

“This is a problem affecting the entire coun-try,” said Riley, “especially when the payer mix includes a greater number of uninsured patients. There are also the issues of high medical malprac-tice rates in Illinois and a high level of litigation in Cook County.” Warren said that St. James loses about one million a year maintaining the center.

After the meeting, Riley said he feels comfort-able that “normal emergency room care is not af-fected by this change—that is something people need to understand. St. James will maintain full service emergency room care in both of their in-stitutions. I also want residents to know that these changes have been communicated to Emergency Medical Services personnel throughout the region; there will be continuity of emergency care”.

Warren said, “Some trauma victims will still come to our department and be stabilized before they are moved to another hospital.” That hospi-tal, in all likelihood, would be Christ Hospital and Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

The Emergency Department of St. James Hospital in Olympia Fields.

I would like to sincerely thank the sponsors of our Food Pantry’s 2nd annual benefit Golf Outing in June. Your generosity helped make the outing a big success. Because of your sup-port, the Pantry will be able to provide food to the more than 800 families who visit us each month. No tax dollars are used to buy the food that the Pantry distributes to our residents in need. Therefore, we must rely on the support of

businesses and individuals like you, who have the compassion to help others. We at the Town-ship want to express our heartfelt appreciation for your bigheartedness and your dedication to the communities you serve.

With much gratitude,

Vicki SlineDirector, The Pantry of Rich Township

8 Rich Township RepoRT Fall 2008

Your Rich Township Officials

SupervisorAl Riley748-6722

ClerkBobbie G.King748-6722

AssessorCarol Ranieri748-6722

CollectorCarol Marshall748-6722

Highway CommissionerCalvinJordan747-3616

TrusteeTherese H.Goodrich748-6722

TrusteeElliot H.Johnson748-6722

TrusteeMannyHoffman748-6722

TrusteeKarenCaesar-Smith748-6722

Township AdministratorTimBradford748-6722

Editor’s NoteThe Rich Township Report is written, edited and photographed by Mary

Paleologos, Public Information Director for the Township.

Early VotingOctober 13-30th

Hours:Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Saturday - 9am - 5pm ✔ also open Sunday 9am - Noon

Government-issued Photo ID is required for Early Voting

Suburban Cook County Early Voting Sites

Barrington ●

Palatine ●

Ho�man Estates ●

Streamwood ● Elk Grove Village ●

Des Plaines ●

Glenview ●

Evanston ●

Elmwood Park ●

Melrose Park ●

Bellwood ●

Palos Heights ● Alsip ●Blue Island ●

Burnham ●

Oak Forest ●

Park Forest ●

Oak Lawn ●

Harvey ●

Berwyn ●

Stickney ●

Morton Grove ●

Wilmette ●

Park Ridge ●

● Arlington Heights

● Northbrook

● South Holland

● Norridge

● Oak Park

● Countryside

● Orland Park

● Lemont

● Matteson

● Chicago Heights

● Skokie

Village Hall

● Cicero

Town Hall

● Cicero

PSO

● Schaumburg

Rolling Meadows ★

● Municipal Early Voting Sites★ Courthouse and Downtown Early Voting Sites

Chicago ★Maywood★

Bridgeview★

Markham★

Skokie★

Suburban Cook County voters can voteat any one of these sites.

Suburban Cook County voters can vote at any one of these sites.

Southern LocationsAlsip Village Hall 4500 W. 123rd St.Berwyn City Hall 6700 W. 26th St.Blue Island Village Hall 2434 Vermont St.Bridgeview Courthouse ✔ 10220 S. 76th Ave - Rm 238Burnham Village Hall 14450 Manistee Ave.Chicago Heights City Hall 1601 Chicago RoadCicero PSO Building ✔ 5410 W. 34th StCicero Town Hall ✔ 4949 W. Cermak RoadHarvey Public Library 15441 Turlington Ave.Lemont Library District 50 E. Wend St.Lyons Township Hall 6404 Joliet Road CountrysideMatteson Village Hall 4900 Village CommonsOak Forest City Hall 15440 S. Central Ave.Oak Lawn Village Hall 9446 S. Raymond Ave.Orland Park Village Hall 14700 Ravinia Ave.Palos Heights Village Hall 7607 W. College DrivePark Forest Village Hall 350 Victory Blvd.South Holland Village Hall 16226 WausauStickney-Forest View Public Library 6800 W. 43rd St, StickneyMarkham Courthouse ✔ 16501 S. Kedzie Ave - Rm 238

Northern LocationsClerk’s Main Office ✔ 69 W. Washington St. - Pedway ChicagoBarrington Township Hall 602 S. Hough St.Bellwood Village Hall 3200 Washington Blvd.Des Plaines City Hall 1420 Miner St.Elk Grove Village 901 Wellington Ave.Elmwood Park Village Hall 11 Conti ParkwayEvanston Civic Center 2100 Ridge Ave.Glenview Village Hall 1225 Waukegan RoadHoffman Estates Village Hall 1900 Hassell RoadWhitcomb Building ✔ 1311 Maybrook Sq. - Rm 109 MaywoodMelrose Park Village Hall 1000 N. 25th Ave.Morton Grove Village Hall 6101 Capulina Ave.Norridge Village Hall 4000 N. Olcott Ave.Northbrook Village Hall 1225 Cedar LaneOak Park Village Hall 123 Madison St.Palatine Village Hall 200 E. Wood StPark Ridge City Hall 505 Butler PlaceRolling Meadows Courthouse ✔ 2121 Euclid Ave.Schaumburg Public Library ✔ 130 S. Roselle RoadSkokie Courthouse ✔ 5600 W. Old Orchard Rd - Rm 149Skokie Village Hall 5127 Oakton St.Streamwood Village Hall 301 E. Irving Park RoadWheeling Township Hall ✔ 1616 N. Arlington Heights Rd Arlington HeightsWilmette Mallinckrodt Comm. Center 1041 Ridge Road

The Presidential General Election is Tuesday, November 4. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. If you do not know your polling place, call Cook County Elections at (312) 603-0906 or visit www.voterinfonet.com. Citizens who would like to vote early or by an ab-sentee ballot may do so by following the steps listed below.

Early VotingA registered suburban Cook County resi-

dent may vote early at any of the Early Vot-ing Sites that are listed on this page. You don’t need a reason to vote early. The early voting period is from Monday, October 13 through Thursday, October 30. Hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A government-issued ID is required for Early Voting. More information on Early Voting can be obtained by calling Cook County Elections at (312) 603-0900 or at www.vo-terinfonet.com.

Absentee BallotsIf you are a college student, a disabled

person, or a “snowbird” and are unable to vote at your polling place on November 4—and Early Voting does not meet your needs—you may obtain an application for an absentee ballot by contacting the Town-ship Clerk’s Office at 748-6722. Complet-ed applications must be returned to Cook County, which will then mail you a ballot.

Get ready for the Nov. 4 Presidential Election