Wheeling Village News

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Wheeling Village News
January/February 1998 Edition

Thanks To All Who Helped Welcome the Holidays at the Holiday Festival of Lights Celebration

Reviving a celebration started in the 1930's, Wheeling's annual Holiday Festival of Lights Celebration proved to be a bigger success than expected. Crowd estimates of 500 people sang and took part in the festivities while enjoying hot chocolate and cookies. Local choirs from Our Savior Evangelical

Free Church and Community Presbyterian Church, the Wheeling High School New Dawns choral group and Brownie/Girlscout Troop 870 provided music for the event. Santa and Mrs. Claus even made an appearance, handing out candy canes to all. Watch for this new village tradition next year.

Did You Know We're Online?

Do you have a question on who sits on the Village Board, or what the current codes are? Check it out on the Village's new and improved web site. The address is www.wheelingil.org. Though the site is still partially under construction, it represents every Village of Wheeling department. The site includes sections on frequently asked questions (FAQ), whom to call for service, ordinance information, and descriptions of each department's functions.

The Departments included are:

. Administration/ Elected Officials
· Community Development
· Finance
· Fire
· Law
· Police
· Public Works
· Senior Center

Also included is a separate section for special events like last month's Festival of Lights Celebration and the upcoming 4th of July festivities.

Officer Frank Lozano of the Wheeling Police Department's S.P.A.N. unit developed the web site last year and has been instrumental in the expansion to other departments. Officer Lozano also acts as the Village's webmaster, and the North Suburban Library System provides the server for the site.

Future plans include interactive access to bicycle registration and building permits.

Fire Department Selected For Cardiac Research Study

The Wheeling Fire Department is participating in a cardiac study being conducted by St. Francis Hospital. Patients experiencing cardiac problems now receive a more advanced electrocardiogram (EKG) and blood enzyme analysis performed in the field by department paramedics. The EKG is known as a "12 lead" and provides the paramedics, as well as the hospital, with a more in-depth analysis of current cardiac activity associated with the patient. The blood enzyme test uses emerging technology to determine if specific cardiac enzymes are present in a patient's blood. These enzymes are only present if the patient has, or is currently experiencing, a heart related incident. This additional patient information allows for accelerated treatment upon arrival at the hospital. The goal of the study is to further reduce the long term health care issues associated with heart attack patients, as well as increase the likelihood of long term survivability. Other fire departments participating in the study are Evanston, Glenview, Lincolnwood, and Skokie. Funding for the study is provided by St. Francis Hospital.

4th of July Plans Well Underway; Committee Seeks Your Help

The Village of Wheeling's Special Events Fourth of July Committee is hard at work preparing for the 1998 celebration. The theme of this year's parade is, "Wheeling on the Move" and will no doubt be the best parade ever!

This year's celebration will not only include an exciting parade, but also a new feature, the 'Taste of' wheeling, ' and a spectacular fireworks display. So far, 'Taste of Wheeling' will include the following restaurants: Bob Chinn's Crabhouse, El Famous Burrito, Joe's Pizza, and Wa-Pa-Ghetti's Pizza. Our hopes are that many more of Wheeling's fine restaurants will join the festivities.

We wish to thank the following cosponsors for their generous donations to the parade and fireworks fund: Waste Management Northwest; Corus Bank; Hoyne Savings; E.H. Wachs; The Valspar Corporation; and Remark Paper Company. More information regarding the 4th of July is available on the village's cable information Channel 17, in your local papers, and right here in Village Views.

It takes a lot of determination, hard work and many committed people to put together such an event. If you would like to get involved, please contact Trustee Judy Abruscato at 541-8783. All volunteers are most welcome. The next meeting of the Special Events Fourth of July Committee will be held on January 14, 1998, 7:00 p.m., in the south half of the employee lunch room in Village Hall. Come join us!

(Another way to ensure the success of our July Fourth Celebration is to donate just $1. 00 to the Fourth of July Fireworks Fund via your next water bill)

Blood Drive Successful

The Wheeling Board of Health would like to thank everyone who participated in the Wheeling Community Blood Drive on November 12, 1997. The drive was successful in collecting 59 units of blood for LifeSource, the Blood Center. These units may help as many as 236 people.

The Wheeling Board of Health would also like to thank Hackney's in Wheeling, Don Roth's, Wa-Pa-Ghetti's Pizza, Bob Chinn's Crabhouse Restaurant, Market Square Restaurant and Holy Family Medical Center for their donations and support of the blood drive. The gift certificates and coupons donated are used to thank the blood drive participants for coming out to donate.

The winners of this drive's door prizes are Dan Ozanich, Keith Brooks, D. Bailly, Bill Howe, Heinz Urbanetz and Dave Ambrose. It is hoped that everyone who came out to the blood drive will become regular donors at all the Wheeling Community Blood Drives.

HELP! Your Cooperation Is Needed

The village needs your help during the winter months to ensure prompt, efficient snow removal throughout the village. Keep in mind, it is illegal to park any vehicle on any street after a snowfall of two inches or more. If necessary, the vehicle will be towed if it blocks a street or impedes in the snow removal process. The owner is responsible for all fees related to towing and storing the vehicle. Parking is permitted after the street has been cleared and the snow fall ceased.

In addition to clearing driveways. village residents are required by ordinance to clear sidewalks that adjoin the residents' property. Please be aware, it is unlawful to shovel, plow or otherwise deposit snow/ice from any driveway, or sidewalk onto any public street.

If snow is obstructing a fire hydrant in front of your property, the village asks you to please clear it off. This enables the fire department a quick hook up, if needed. If you are unable to clear the snow and ice from a fire hydrant, please contact the Public Works Department, at 459-2624.

Please do not request that plows deviate from assigned routes, as this greatly reduces the efficiently planned routes. Cul-de-sacs and dead-end streets require special snow removal practices and are cleared after major and minor streets are cleared.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation. Your assistance will help our snow removal efforts to continue in an efficient and effective manner.

New Recycling Bins Available

The village now has available on first-come, first-served basis, fifty (50) recycling bins with wheels. The bins are sixteen (16) gallon in size, slightly smaller than the eighteen (18) gallon bins now used. The cost for the wheel kit and new bin, if you return your old bin, is $3.85. The cost without returning the old bin is $7.25. Because the wheel kits do not fit the larger eighteen (18) gallon bins, the wheel kits and bins will only be issued together. Village employees will assemble the wheel kits.

Focus on staff. . .

Bob Gray,
Director of Public Works
Public Works, formerly Operations and Maintenance, is a division of the village charged with numerous responsibilities, and is under the direction of Robert Gray, the Director of Public Works. Bob has been with the village since 1973, starting as the senior engineer, and has served as the Director since 1978. Prior to that, Mr. Gray served in the U.S. Army and also worked as an engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Public Works is responsible for the everyday maintenance and operation of the village's infrastructure and improvements, which includes all village-owned buildings and property, the village's fleet of vehicles, street repair, water and sewer systems for all residents and any engineering services associated with these services. He is also responsible for a total of forty-six dedicated employees within the department.

Some of these functions, such as plowing and salting the 62 miles of village streets and lamming approximately 7,417 trees, are noticed by residents. Some other functions, such as keeping all of the village's police vehicles on the road and in good shape, are not. Public Works is also responsible for decorating Village Hall with all of the holiday decorations presently seen.

Besides managing all of these divisions, Mr. Gray's department is currently supervising eighteen construction projects, and more than fifty percent of the villages outside contracts. "The hardest part of the job," says Gray, "is juggling all of the tasks that need to be taken care of." Bob is a very dedicated employee and is often seen at Village Hall long before opening, and much later than closing. As a twenty-four year employee of the village, Mr. Gray has played an integral part in the growth of Wheeling.

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