News from the Village of Homewood (IL)

Results of Quick Poll
The Quick Poll of November 26 revealed that subscribers preferred a Wednesday distribution of the e-Newswire. So, here it is... Issues will release every other Wednesday. If there is a holiday, distribution will be the Tuesday prior.

Downtown Shops host Girls Night Out: Dec. 12
A Fun Evening In Downtown Homewood Friday, December 12 5 PM to 9 PM Grab your friends and come out to shop! There will be sales and specials from merchants on Dixie Highway, Ridge Road, Martin and Harwood Avenue. There are a number of shops participating just in time for the holidays. Check with each shop for individual specials and to enter raffles.

Holiday Lights in Homewood

The Homewood Economic Development Committee would like to recognize the businesses who sponsored the tolleys and ice sculpting for Holiday Lights in Homewood:

George Boggs, CFP & Fran Schrader, CFP; Art 4 Soul, Artistix Salon, Bella Vita Home Accents, Climb On Rocking Climbing Gym, Creative Seeds, Eighner's Florist, Girlfriends, Harvest Home & Garden, Homewood Area Chamber of Commerce, Homewood Florist, Hungry Hill Sausage Company, Nathalie Interiors & Gallery, Nielsen's Bakery, Sage Skin, Salon J, Spahhs, South Suburban Family Shelter, Super Loot, Suzie's Hallmark Shop, and The Village Door.

While the weather was very cold, residents came out to support local merchants and celebrate the season together as a community. If you attended the many festivities of Friday, December 5, please take this quick survey.

The Giving Tree

The Giving Tree is located in the Village Hall lobby at 2020 Chestnut Road. It is stocked with holiday gift wishes from needy children within our own community. This season, please consider adding one of these wishes to your holiday gift list. Wrapped or unwrapped gifts should be brought to the Homewood Public Works Department located at 17755 Ashland Avenue (2nd Floor). Gifts must be dropped off before December 19 between the hours of 7 AM and 4 PM. Please return the "wish" tag with the gift. Call Lisa Syren for details at 206-2906.

New Years Eve DAY Celebration: Dec. 31

The world may tune in to Time Square (NYC) at midnight but the Village of Homewood holds its own countdown and balloon drop - at the stroke of noon - on December 31st. The event is planned so that the entire family can bid farewell to the departing year, and usher in the new together - with horns, hats, and balloons. Festivities start promptly at 11 AM with live entertainment by Andy Head's knock-out show of juggling, comedy, and audience participation. Andy Head is a two-time international juggling champion and has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman. At the stroke of noon an enormous cluster of balloons will descend from the ceiling to officially start the celebration of the New Year! Healthy light refreshments will be served. The event is free to everyone and is sponsored by the Community Relations Commission.

Green Living: Wrapping Presents

Most mass-produced wrapping paper you find in stores is not recyclable and ends up in landfills. Instead, here's a great chance to get creative! Wrap presents with old maps, the comics section of a newspaper, children's artwork. Or try a scarf, attractive dish towel, bandana, or some other useful cloth item. If every family wrapped just three gifts this way, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields. (Courtesy the Sierra Club).

Bi-Weekly FAQ

Question: I have company staying with me over Christmas; can they park in the street in front of my house without getting a ticket?

Answer: During the holidays parking restrictions are suspended. Tickets will not be issued from December 21 through January 5. There are still some parking restrictions that apply: Homewood has a reputation of quickly clearing its streets after snowfalls to make them passable to motorists. In order to maintain this service, no vehicle may be parked on a Village street after a snowfall of two-inches or more until the street has been cleared of snow and ice. Violators are subject to a ticket and possible towing.

Click It or Ticket Campaign Update

Motorists passing through Homewood were greeted by a series of Seat Belt Enforcement Zones over the Thanksgiving holiday. The Click It or Ticket campaign, funded by a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation, was very successful. Many drivers and passengers were in compliance with safety belt laws. Other drivers and passengers were less cooperative and were issued tickets. Tickets were issued to parents that failed to properly secure children in child restraint seats. During the 16 day enforcement period, Homewood Police Officers issued 118 safety belt violations and five child restraint violations. The Homewood Police Department encourages everyone inside their vehicle to wear a properly adjusted safety belt and use a child restraint system with age appropriate children.

Employment Opportunity: Public Works Dept.

Maintenance Worker - Utility Division/Public Works Department

Job Summary: Under supervision of Utilities Supervisor, performs a variety of semi-skilled public works construction and maintenance duties which may require the operation of light and heavy equipment.

Essential Job Function: Constructs, repairs and maintains water distribution and wastewater collection systems, including but not limited to repair, installation of wastewater collection sewers and manholes, fire hydrants, water main valves and service lines, b-boxes, waste and storm water lift stations.
Repairs pavement, erects barricades, sets up pumps and collects/removes storm debris during emergencies as needed.
Operates snow removal equipment on Village streets, parking lots and sidewalks; sets up traffic control devices.
Working Conditions: Incumbent performs most work outdoors in all weather conditions including extreme hot and cold temperatures, rain and snow. Incumbent may be called out at any time of the day or night to respond to emergencies or assist with snow removal and works in trenches and ditches as required.

Preferred Requirements: Valid Illinois Class A commercial driver's license with certification of air brake vehicle test and endorsement "N" for tanker truck, or able to attain 60 days after hire.

Salary Range: $43,656 - $58,524, plus competitive benefits

Pick Up and Return Application at the Homewood Municipal Service Center located at 17755 S. Ashland Avenue, Homewood, IL 60430. Applications must be received by Wednesday, December 17 at 1 PM.

Police Department Issues Warning
The Police Department would like to warn Homewood residents to watch for con artists and to beware of current scams. Read more.

Electronic Neighborhood Watch Alerts
The Homewood Police Department has moved its Electronic Neighborhood Watch Alerts to the same email marketing service as the e-Newswire. If you are a subscriber, make sure to update your profile by adding the Electronic Neighborhood Watch list to your interests. If you are not a subscriber of the e-Newswire or Electronic Neighborhood Watch community, sign up now.

Welcome to Homewood's e-Newswire, a bi-weekly electronic newsletter, containing information pertinent to Homewood's residents and business community. The Village has transitioned to this format to provide up-to-date information on its projects, programs,and plans. Subscribe today!

The appearance of external links within Homewood's e-Newswire does not constitute endorsement by the Village of Homewood for the information , products or services contained therein. The Village of Homewood does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these websites. Contact the external sites for answers to questions regarding its content.

Next Issue: Tuesday, December 23, 2008*
*early distribution due to holiday