A P

ub

lic

At

ion o

f t

he t

ow

n o

f R

ich f

oR i

ts c

itiz

en

s •

fA

ll 2

008

PR

SR

T S

TD

U.S

. Pos

tage

PA

ID

Per

mit

No.

40

Ric

hton

Par

k, IL

6047

1

Rich

Tow

nshi

p22

013

Gov

erno

rs H

wy

Rich

ton

Park

, IL

6047

1

Happy autumn to all of the residents of Rich Town-ship. The color show has already started.

As the year comes to a close, we are reminded that the 2010 Census is right around the corner—it begins this March. As we all know from our civics classes in elementary and high school, the decennial Census is extremely important. Not only does it count the number of people in the United States and smaller political juris-dictions, it also determines political apportionment.

From what we understand, the State of Illinois will probably lose one seat in Congress because in the last ten years Illinois had a net loss of population. An impor-tant point that I want to emphasize is that we need to be sure to receive as complete of an enumeration as pos-sible. I write many of the grants of the Township, along with other staff members. We find that there are many federal and state grants that are based on capitation, or literally, how many heads we have in a particular jurisdiction. Therefore, insuring that every person living within our jurisdiction be counted is vital. One of the things the Township is doing is participating in some of the Bureau of the Census activities, which promote edu-cation. I am doing this throughout both the Township and the 38th Representative District.

Recently, the Township Board of Trustees passed a resolution acknowledging the importance of the Census and its intention to proliferate positive information on behalf of a complete enumeration. In 2000, approximately 74% of Rich Township residents an-swered the Census in one form or another. That is higher than the state average. Neverthe-less, we can do better. My main concern is that everyone has a fair chance of being repre-sented. Let’s endeavor to reach the 90th percentile in 2010. This is an achievable goal. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Al RileyAl Riley, AICPRich Township Supervisor

A Message From Supervisor Al Riley

Supervisor Al Riley

Fashion Show fundraiser to benefit struggling families

The Rich Township Food Pantry’s 19th annual Fall Fashion Show fund-raiser will take place on Sunday, Oc-tober 25, starting at 12:30 p.m., at the Tinley Park Holiday Inn and Conven-tion Center.

This year’s theme is “Fall Into The Holidays,” and the show will include stunning fashions for the Christmas season.

“These difficult economic times have caused a tremendous demand for our services,” said Pantry Director Vicki Sline. “As a result, we need more funding to keep our shelves stocked for our clients. Your support will help keep food on the table for many strug-gling families who have found them-selves in dire straights as a result of this brutal recession.”

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 are: Tickets to the Oprah Show, valuable artwork and jewelry, luxurious gift baskets, perfume, children’s toys, rare sports memorabilia, celebrity auto-graphed items, including a signed pic-ture of Oprah, gift certificates to day spas and health clubs, and numerous restaurant/museum/theatre packages.

One of the premiere auction items will be a one-of-a-kind Breast Cancer Awareness Gift Basket. The basket was created by members of the Qual-ity Classic Fitness Center in Park For-est, owned by Alia Moussa-Davis, who donated the basket.

Fashions will be provided by Car-son Pirie Scott, J.C. Penny, Kluger Furs, Leather House, Old Navy and Rainbows. Social hour begins at 12:30 p.m.; lunch is served at 1:30 p.m., di-rectly followed by the fashion show at

2:15 p.m.Sline said the fashion show is the

Pantry’s major fund-raiser. “All money raised goes directly to

help buy food, which we give out ev-ery month to more than 800 families.”

For tickets, call Pantry Director Vicki Sline or Carol Pivoney at 748-6722.

Pantry Director Vicki Sline (left) thanks Alia Moussa-Davis, owner of Qual-ity Classic Fitness Center in Park Forest, for donating a one-of-a-kind Breast Cancer Awareness Gift Basket for the Pantry’s Fashion Show fund-raiser. The basket, which was created by members of Moussa-Davis’ health club, will be auctioned off at the show.

Pantry Director Vicki Sline (right) and assis-tant Carol Pivoney display a gorgeous paint-ing titled “Fire and Ice,” that will be part of the fashion show’s silent auction.

Township Clerk Bobbie King models a hat created by the Red Hat Chapter of Park Towers in Richton Park. The hat, along with a matching purse, will be auctioned off at the Fashion Show.

2 Rich Township RepoRT spRing 2009

Free bus tour of holiday lights

Bus service free for holidays

Food Pantry wins Abby Foundation grant

Pace boosts funding for Township bus program

Rich Township recently re-ceived $120,000 in increased funding from Pace for its bus pro-gram for senior citizens and resi-dents with disabilities. The Town-ship has an annual ridership of 103,000, which includes the Jolly Trolley bus service for Park For-est residents of all ages.

Pace representatives Terry Wells and Leandria Blakeman presented a ceremonial check to Rich Township Supervisor Al Ri-ley and Transportation Director Pat Peters at a Township board meeting.

Blakeman said that Pace uses Rich Township’s bus program as a model for other municipalities and providers that want to start a transportation program in the six-county Chicagoland region.

“We send people over to Pat

Peters to learn about her pro-grams,” she said.

Riley said that Wells, who is mayor of Phoenix and also serves on the Pace Board of Di-rectors, is “working for our best interest and the best interest of the whole south suburban re-gion. Getting this check today proves that.”

Pace recently increased fund-ing for all of its local dial-a-ride projects. Pace partners with ser-vice providers, municipalities, and townships for the operation of 65 regional dial-a-ride proj-ects. Collectively, they serve ap-proximately 85,000 riders each month. The new subsidies total nearly $967,000, bringing the total amount with which Pace subsidizes dial-a-ride operations to $5.4 million.

The Pantry of Rich Township was awarded a $3,000 grant from The Abby Foundation in August.

The grant will be used to pur-chase additional food from the Greater Chicago Food Depository to meet the escalating demand for Pantry services.

“We want to thank the Abby Foundation members for their generous support,” Pantry Direc-tor Vicki Sline said “The mission of the foundation is to help wom-en, and that’s a big part of our mission as well.”

The Pantry helps thousands of struggling mothers stay finan-cially afloat by providing a means to keep healthy food on the table for their children. It also assists fi-nancially strapped senior citizens, many of whom are widows trying to make ends meet on a small So-cial Security check. And now that the nation is in a deep recession, more people—especially wom-en—are coming to the Pantry for assistance.

A new trend has also surfaced among Pantry clients, Sline said. Due to job loss and foreclosures, many families have had to move in with other family members or friends to make ends meet.

“Senior citizens have had to take in adult children and their children,” Sline said. “All responsi-bility falls on the senior citizen—almost always a woman—until in-

come starts coming in for the new combined family unit. Meager incomes cannot support a whole new family moving in. Some se-niors who were coming in only once a month for Fresh Produce Day are now regular pantry cli-ents because they are supporting a combined family unit. We’ve had many of these stories. So we’re most grateful to the Abby Foun-dation for providing us with addi-tional means to stock our shelves and help women feed their fami-lies.”

More information about the Food Pantry and Fresh Produce Day is with Vicki Sline at 748-6722.

Supervisor Al Riley and Food Pan-try Director Vicki Sline with a $3,000 grant check awarded by the Abby Foundation to purchase food for the Township Pantry.

Pace representative Terry Wells (left) presents a $120,000 ceremonial check to Township board members, representing additional funding for the Township’s bus program. Pictured after Wells from left are: Highway Com-missioner Calvin Jordan, Supervisor Al Riley, Collector Carol Marshall, Transportation Director Pat Peters, Trustee Elliott Johnson, Trustee Ther-ese Goodrich and Trustee Karen Caesar-Smith and Clerk Bobbie King.

Township Supervisor Al Riley and officials of the Township are offering seniors and disabled residents free transportation during the holiday season for their shopping needs.

Free bus service will be provided for shopping only, from Monday, December 14 through Wednes-day, December 23, for Rich Township seniors and residents who are disabled.

Call 748-6727 at least one hour in advance to reserve a ride. In or-der for the Township to accommodate all of its customers, please limit parcels to only two packages per ride during this very busy season.

The Rich Township Transportation Department will be offering a free bus tour on Friday, December 11 to view the Christmas lights in the area. The trip is for Township seniors and residents who are dis-abled. Call 748-6727 to make a reservation by Tuesday, December 8. Before the tour, Commissioner Calvin Jordan of the Highway Depart-ment will host a holiday reception for the participants.

Park Forest has a new Jolly Trolley bus with four wheelchair lifts for disabled residents.

Rich Township Supervisor Al Riley re-cently showed the new bus to Park For-est board members in front of the Village Hall.

The new Pace bus replaces an older model with only two wheelchair lifts. Two Jolly Trolley buses operate in Park Forest on Monday through Friday. Rich Township operates the bus service, which is available to all Park Forest residents, regardless of age. The Township acquires the buses through Pace. An average of

1,700 riders per month use the bus ser-vice.

“This is intergovernmental collabora-tion at its best,” Riley said. “Rich Town-ship has kept the transit service tradi-tion of the Park Forest Jolly Trolley alive, while operating the latest buses with lifts for the disabled. Rich Township has al-ways had an excellent relationship with Pace. This makes our acquisition of safe, modern buses and equipment easier than it might be for other jurisdictions.”

For more information about the Jolly Trolley or to reserve a trip, call (708) 748-4433.

New Jolly Trolley serves more disabled

Standing in front of Rich Township’s newest Jolly Trolley are (from left) Park Forest Trustee Bonita Dillard, Trustee Robert McCray, Trustee Kenneth Kramer, Trustee Mae Brandon, Township Supervi-sor Al Riley, Trustee Gary Kopycinski and Trustee Georgia O’Neill.

spRing 2009 Rich Township RepoRT 3

Students and camp counselors from Rich Township’s Summer Youth Camp pose for a group photo during the end-of-camp barbecue at Somonauk Park in Park Forest.

ASSESSOR’S nEwS & nOtES

In May, the Cook County As-sessor’s office announced that it would be revising the assessed values of all residential proper-ties in suburban Cook County to reflect declines in property values caused by the downturn in the housing market.

Rich Township was reassessed in 2008, and the values assigned to properties at that time were supposed to reflect the real es-tate market as of January 1, 2008. Since January 1, 2008, however, property values have declined. To reflect the market decline, the Cook County Assessor’s Office an-alyzed the sale prices of all Rich Township residential properties that sold after January 1, 2008, and determined that for 2009, the overall values set for the last re-assessment should be lowered, to reflect this downturn. These lower assessed values will appear on the second installment bills for tax year 2009 (payable 2010), which will be mailed in the fall of 2010.

There is a big difference be-tween an assessment reduction for an individual property and an across-the-board assessment re-duction for all properties. When one property out of a whole town-ship wins a tax appeal, the savings for the one property are paid for by the other properties through a marginally higher tax rate. Be-cause of the higher tax rate, tax-ing districts get all the money that they levied, notwithstanding the effect of the appeal.

If all of the properties in a township receive assessment re-ductions, however, there would be no other properties to which the tax burden could be shifted. In this

event, the tax rate would in-crease sig-n i f i can t ly so as to completely off set the reductions in assessed values.

The as-sessed val-ue of your property should be approximately 10% of its market value. Thus if your property’s assessed value is $25,000, the assessor’s office be-lieves its market value is $250,000. The starting point in determining property tax bills is the money that schools and other taxing districts levy to perform their services: the combined revenue from all of the district’s property tax bills equals the district’s tax levy. Since the as-sessor does not have the power to reduce a district’s tax levy, lower-ing assessed values does not al-ways reduce the tax bills.

All single family homes, condo-miniums, and apartment buildings of six units or less will see these reductions. The remaining portion of the tax base is comprised of apartment buildings of seven units or more, as well as commercial and industrial properties, which will not experience any reductions in their assessed values.

If you have any questions, please contact the Assessor’s Of-fice at (708) 748-6722, or fax us at (708) 748-8796. Our office hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Wednesdays until 7 p.m.

Nick Bobis was appointed to the Rich Township Board of Trustees on October 5.

Bobis replaces Manny Hoffman, who recently resigned from the board due to health concerns in his family.

A resident of Tinley Park, Bobis was a teacher and guidance coun-selor for 38 years in Thornton Town-ship High School District 205 before retiring six years ago.

“I’m excited to be a part of the Rich Township team and assist in any way possible,” Bobis said. “I’ll bring a lot of energy to the board, a lot of caring, and experience in working with people. I’ll also bring more people into the Township from Tinley Park and inform them about all the programs available to them.”

A former longtime resident of South Holland, Bobis was president of the South Holland Little League, operating under the slogan, “Base-ball for Everyone.” And he meant everyone. Bobis opened up a Lit-tle League Challenger Division for handicapped and disabled children, including those in wheelchairs and children who are blind.

“I made sure that we provided baseball opportunities for handi-capped children,” Bobis said. As a result, parents from across the Chi-cagoland region brought their dis-abled children to South Holland to participate in Bobis’ Challenger Di-vision.

For his inclusiveness, Bobis was recognized by the Chicago Sun-

Times as a local hero and was part of a display at the Museum of Sci-ence and Industry featuring real-life super heroes.

In 2008, Bobis received an Amer-ican Teacher Award as part of the Disney Channel’s “Salute to Teach-ers.” In conjunction with the award, he appeared on the CBS Early Show as a surprise to his former student, Harry Smith, CBS’ Early Show an-chor “The Disney Channel asked different celebrities to name a teach-er who believed in you when you didn’t believe in yourself,” explained Bobis. “Harry Smith was my student in 1969 and he named me.”

Bobis announced every football and basketball game at Thornwood High School for 30 years. He also coached debate and supervised ex-tracurricular speech activities. A Greek-American, Bobis is an active member of his church, Saints Con-stantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Palos Hills. He assists in the church’s service ministry, in-cluding its food pantry and clothing drives. He has participated in mis-sions to an orphanage for abused and abandoned children in Guate-mala City. He was also involved in “Project Mexico,” where he helped build a house for an impoverished family.

For the past seven years, Bobis has served on the Southern Pines Condominium Association Board, including a term as president. He is also a member of the Friends of the Tinley Park Public Library.

Bobis appointed to Township Board

Register to voteThe Primary Election will be held on February 2, 2010. The last day

to register to vote is January 5, 2010. If you have moved or changed your name since the last election, you must re-register

with your new name and/or address. You are required to supply two forms of identification: one ID must have your name and current address. More information

is with Deputy Clerk Debra Pascarella at 748-6722.

Township Assessor Carol Ranieri

Nick Bobis (third from left), was recently appointed to the Rich Town-ship Board of Trustees. Also pictured from left are Highway Commis-sioner Calvin Jordan, Clerk Bobbie King, Supervisor Al Riley, Trustee Therese Goodrich and Trustee Karen Caesar-Smith.

Deputy Assessor Pam Barton (left) assists Ginetta Pikosz of Flossmoor with a property tax issue at the Township Office.

4 Rich Township RepoRT spRing 2009

Minority Business Expo

Apply for passports at Rich Township

Rich Township awards four scholarships

Rich Township awarded Good Citizenship Scholarships to four 2009 high school graduates. Each student received a $500 scholar-ship and plaque.

The recipients—all residents of the Township—were chosen on the basis of student government participation, good citizenship and service to their school. Their awards were presented at a Rich Township board meeting.

The first recipient was Malika Jackson of Homewood-Flossmoor High School, currently majoring in early childhood education at Illinois State University. The sec-ond recipient was Alyssa Her-nandez of Rich East High School, who in April 2009 was elected to the board of Rich Township High

School District 228 while still a student. She is attending DePaul University and serving on the high school board.

The other scholarship win-ners were Jeremy Halbert-Harris of Rich Central High School, who is studying computer science at Morehouse College, and Michael McGee of Rich South High School, currently majoring in film editing at Columbia College in Chicago.

“It’s important that the people of Rich Township know we have students at all of our schools who are doing well and who under-stand good government,” Town-ship Supervisor Al Riley said. “It makes us know that we have peo-ple coming up after us to take care of the business of government.”

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

The Rich Township Clerk’s Of-fice is a Passport Acceptance Fa-cility and is currently processing passport applications.

All the forms necessary to ap-ply for a passport are available at the Township Office, 22013 Gov-ernors 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 re-quirements are exactly the same at all passport acceptance facili-ties.

Processing takes approximate-ly 4-6 weeks from the date of ap-plication.

An applicant must bring in proof of citizenship, such as a cer-tified copy of a birth certificate;

Rich Township Trustee Therese Goodrich and her husband John have donated two paintings to the Leonard Robinson Family & Youth Center.

The two paintings are in mem-ory of all children who have died too soon. The first painting, titled “I Butterfly,” is by Marilyn Sunder-man.

“The idea of a butterfly is a sign of spirit and new life,” Therese

Goodrich said.The second painting, titled “Em-

brace,” is by south suburban artist Dereck Paul. This painting also commemorates the first 40 years of integration in Park Forest.

Rich Township sincerely thanks the Goodriches for their heartfelt gift, which reflects their compas-sion, their dedication to justice, and their lifelong spirit of giving to the community.

Goodriches donate paintings

(Above) Receiving service and leadership awards at the 2009 Minority Business Expo are (from left) Sterling Culp, Alyssa Hernandez, Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, Cook County Commissioner Debra Sims, Cook County Commissioner Joan Murphy and State Sena-tor Toi Hutchinson. (Below) Minority Business Expo organizer Roy Dillard (left) presents a Distinguished Service Award to Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez. Holding the award are Dr. Christian Akiwowo (left) and Marx Jones. Information about the 2010 Expo is with Roy Dillard at 748-6722 or 261-5708.

Therese and John Goodrich look at one of two paintings they donated to the Leonard Robinson Family & Youth Center in memory of all children who have died too soon.

Supervisor Al Riley (right) congratulates Good Citizen Scholarship recipients (from left) Malika Jackson of Homewood-Flossmoor High School; Jeremy Halbert-Harris of Rich Central High School; Michael McGee of Rich South High School; and Alyssa Hernandez of Rich East High School.

two headshot photos against a white background; and identifica-tion, 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 facility.

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 infor-mation.

spRing 2009 Rich Township RepoRT 5

Fresh produce available for low-income families

Resale shop trip set for Nov. 13

Road District prepares for winter

Administrator’s MessageNormally I use my message to talk about

the Township’s latest accomplishments and statistics. But today, I want to pay tribute to my son, Shance Bradford, who died very re-cently. It’s been a rough couple of weeks, but as I write this article, I am at peace.

The loss of a child is one of the greatest tragedies that life can bring. While death is never welcome, we are at least prepared for it in a person of advanced years. No one is ever prepared for the death of their child.

Shance was a person who gave unselfishly of himself, and that was perhaps his greatest gift. Shance was always comfortable wher-ever he went, and with whomever he was sharing his time. No matter the situation, he met it with enthusiasm, concern and energy.

Shance was the true definition of a “free spirit.” He chose to enjoy and live life to the fullest, rather than always follow what others con-sidered the “norm.” He was definitely the “jokester” of the family—con-stantly keeping us laughing and smiling. He volunteered many hours of his time coaching and mentoring young children.

The legacy that my son left was one of love and honor, which he truly lived every day, and which in truth can never, never die.

My wife and I want to take this opportunity, to thank everyone for the overwhelming kindness and support shown to our family during our time of grief. Words cannot express the gratitude and the warm ap-preciation that is coming from our hearts.

So in closing—A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO EVERYONE.

Rich Township’s motto: ‘We’re here to help you’

The Highway Department con-tinuously maintains roads and bridges for unincorporated resi-dential areas of Rich Township. Other services include regular tree trimming, branch pick up and lawn maintenance.

Highway Commissioner Calvin Jordan said his Road District crews completed a number of major proj-ects last spring and summer. They include:

Installation of sewers on 194th Street in unincorporated Floss-moor.

Installation of culverts and pav-ing on 192nd Street in unincorpo-rated Homewood.

Installation of new bridge and culverts on Polk Street in unincor-porated Richton Park.

Laid asphalt and completed patching on Homeland Road in un-incorporated Matteson.

Commissioner Jordan is now preparing for his annual meet-ing with the residents of Crawford Countryside on October 27, when he will discuss more detailed plans regarding storm water management for fiscal year 2010. He will also dis-cuss plan for this winter season’s snow readiness for the residents of unincorporated Rich Township.

Commissioner Jordan will also host his annual holiday reception for senior citizens participating in the Christmas lights bus tour on Friday, December 11. Call 748-6727 to make a reservation by Tuesday, December 8.

Township Administrator Tim Bradford

The Greater Chicago Food Depository 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 Governors Hwy., Richton Park. Please note that doors do not open until 9:30 am. All south suburban residents in need are eligible to pick up a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. The next Fresh Pro-duce Days are November 4, December 2 and January 6. Call Pantry Director Vicki Sline at (708) 748-6722 for more information.

The Rich Township Transportation Department is offering a Resale Shop trip on Friday, November 13. Participants must be Township resi-dents. They will be picked up at their home in the morning. Lunch is at Beggars Pizza in Richton Park and will be paid for by shoppers. Af-ter lunch, there will be more shopping and browsing through various local shops. The cost of the trip is $7, which covers the cost of trans-portation. Call (708) 748-6727 by November 9 to make a reservation.

Participating in the Rich Town-ship Road District’s annual Fall Cleanup Day on October 9 were Highway Commissioner Calvin Jordan, Richton Park President Rick Reinbold and Debra Shore of the Metropolitan Water Reclama-tion District.

Residents living in un-incorporated areas who have any q u e s t i o n s or concerns can contact the Road District Of-fice at (708) 228-5050 or by cell seven days a week at (708) 692-6305, or email highway@richtown-ship.org. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. All inquiries are welcome.

The following statistics report how many citizens have used Rich Township services from January through September 2009.

Township buses transported ❱❱ 33,750 riders from January through September 2009. The Food Pantry provided food for ❱❱ 7,062 families, or a total of 23,370 people from January through September 2009. The Rich Township Assessor’s Office provided tax ❱❱assistance to about 900 people and had over 1400 phone calls from January through September 2009.

The Rich Township Clerk’s Office provided the following services for the second quarter ( January through September of 2009):

Registered ❱❱ 22 individuals to vote. Processed ❱❱ 81 passport applications. Assisted ❱❱ 94 people in obtaining permanent disabled parking placards.Issued ❱❱ 39 temporary disabled parking placards.Provided ❱❱ free Notary Public service. Issued ❱❱ 808 Cook County vehicle stickers to residents of unincorporated Cook County.

Rich Township Senior Center statisticsA total of 28,872 participated in senior services and activities from

January to September 2009. The breakdown is as follows:

❱❱ In-Home Service Clients: 472 served Case Management Contacts:❱❱ 3,266 contacts Home-delivered Meals: ❱❱ 3,939 meals delivered

Participation in he following senior activities was as follows:Movie: ❱❱ 249Flexercise classes: ❱❱ 4,020Cards: ❱❱ 425Needlework class: ❱❱ 361Art class: ❱❱ 359Jewelry class: ❱❱ 73Health Screenings: ❱❱ 340Monthly trip:❱❱ 421Podiatrist: ❱❱ 581Blood pressure: ❱❱ 790 AARP Safe Driving ❱❱class: 72Rules of the Road: ❱❱ 66

Line Dancing: ❱❱ 1,010Senior Chorus: ❱❱ 157Bowling: ❱❱ 189Walking Club: ❱❱ 109Yoga: ❱❱ 276

Special Senior Programs:

Income Tax Assistance ❱❱(Feb.-April): 1359Senior Fair (5/15): ❱❱ 375 Circuit Breaker ❱❱(April): 46

Highway Commissioner Calvin Jordan

6 Rich Township RepoRT spRing 2009

Celebrated jazz artist in our midst

Tomorrow’s Men mentors black youth

African American youths ages 13 to 18 are invited to join To-morrow’s Men, a not-for-profit mentoring program whose goal is to help young men become productive members of society.

“The mentoring program is committed to changing the plight of young African Ameri-can males,” said Executive Direc-tor Melonese Brookins, who is also a school board member of Rich Township High School Dis-trict 227. “We strive to develop and strengthen their character by teaching practical life skills that will help them transition into manhood.”

The philosophy behind the group is that “It takes men to raise men,” Brookins continued. “In African culture, the men actually take the young men away from the women and provide them with life and survival skills.”

Tomorrow’s Men meets on the first Tuesday of each month, from 6 to 8 p.m., at Prairie State Col-lege, in the Business and Com-munity Education Center.

The program links each young man with a positive Afri-can American male mentor who shares common experiences and career interests. The group’s mentors are an elite group of Af-rican American men with impec-cable backgrounds and diverse professional experience. They build relationships, set positive examples, and are committed to the development of their young mentees.

Right now, the growing orga-nization is seeking more African American men to serve as men-tors. The group is also looking for more funding to expand its educational activities.

“We need more computers to add a strong technological component to our program,”

Brookins said. “We’d also like to get our own place so we can meet more often. At our cur-rent location, we’re limited to meeting only once a month. We welcome donors to contribute directly through our website at www.tomorrowsmen.org, which is linked to Paypal.”

According to national statis-tics, the high school graduation rate of black men is 35 percent. In addition, nearly two-thirds of African American undergradu-ates are women. At black colleg-es, the ratio of women to men is about 7 to 1.

“Tomorrow’s Men is working to erase those statistics and re-turn these young men to their African heritage of pride and ex-cellence,” Brookins said.

“Our vision is to empower African American youth with knowledge and resources that will ultimately produce academic scholars, influential leaders and successful adults who are com-petitive in today’s global econo-my,” she said.

In past sessions, participants have learned problem solving and decision-making, financial literacy, interview skills, and have attended a college workshop.

Tomorrow’s Men board mem-bers are Yvette Moten, Debra Shakoor, Ilandus Hampton, Rod Cohn and Isaac Jack Starks, with Kaye Wilson serving as grants consultant.

If you are a young African American youth who wishes to excel, or an adult male who wants to help develop future leaders, please contact Brookins or Associate Director Candace Madison at 503-5428. Or you can send an email to mbrookins@to-morrowsmen.org, or cmadison@tomorrowsmen.org. Donations are also welcome.

Rich Township is home to one of Chicago’s greatest jazz artists.

Jazz pianist John Wright was recently awarded The Walter Dyett Lifetime Achievement Award by the Jazz Institute of Chicago. It is the highest, most prestigious music award pre-sented in the City of Chicago.

Wright accepted the award in September, during the 7th annual Jazz Institute of Chica-go Gala at the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in Chicago.

“I was very humbled and overwhelmed to be picked out of thousands of musi-cians,” said Wright, a longtime resident of Matteson. “But I thought about it, and to be awarded a lifetime achieve-ment award—you have to have a few gray hairs.”

Wright, who has performed around the world, is the Chopin of jazz music. Listening to him play jazz is a remarkable ex-perience. What’s even more remarkable is that Wright is blind. Like Beethoven who lost his hearing but continued to play and compose, Wright continues to compose and give magnificent jazz performances without his sight. He plays every Thursday at Philander’s at the Carleton Hotel of Oak Park, and also performs with his quartet at other Chicago area clubs.

Rich Township crossed paths with the jazz great about six years ago, when Wright started using the Township’s bus service to transport him to doctors’ appointments at the University of Chicago Hos-pital, where he receives laser treatments on his eyes. Wright lost his sight completely in 2004. But fortunately, with the assistance of his wife Jean, he still leads an independent life.

Over the years, Rich Town-ship driver James Mitchell has become a devoted fan and friend.

“He’s a legend in Chicago jazz,” said Mitchell, who regu-larly goes to see him perform. “He’s one of the greatest jazz pianists alive today.”

Wright is also the executive director of the Hyde Park Jazz Society.

Wright was born in 1934 in Louisville, Kentucky, to a fa-ther who worked as a labor-er, and a mother who served as a missionary. At the age of three, John began playing the piano at his mother’s Pente-costal church. As a young man serving in the Army’s Special

Services in Europe, Wright came into contact with such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie and Dexter Gordon.

“There were a lot of great musicians in Special Services,” he said. “I learned a lot from them.”

Wright—a pianist, organist and bassist—to this day does not read or write music. He is known commercially as “South Side Soul.” Some of his record-ings include South Side Soul—John Wright Trio; John Wright: Mr. Soul,” and “John Wright: The Last Amen.” He has re-corded at Prestige, Fantus and Catz studios.

Wright is retired from the Cook County Sheriff’s Depart-ment of Corrections. There, he was affectionately known as “Poppy.” To honor the jazz great, the Sheriff’s Department named the Reference section of the Clarence Darrow Li-brary in Division 5, the John “Poppy” Wright Library. He is famous for annually hosting an end-of-summer “Mini-Fest” at his Matteson home, attended by some of the best jazz musi-cians in Chicagoland, who also perform at the gathering.

Wright is the father of nine children, 29 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and five great-great grandchildren. He is a member of Chicago’s Ap-ostolic House of God.

The jazz great’s advice to everyone he meets is this: “First love the Lord, then love yourself—only then will you be able to love others.”

More information about the Jazz Institute of Chicago is at www.jazzinchicago.org. Infor-mation about the Hyde Park Jazz Society can be accessed at www.hydeparkjazzsociety.org.

Tomorrow’s Men and their mentors during the organization’s annual picnic last summer.

Jazz artist John Wright holds The Walter Dyett Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jazz Institute of Chicago.

spRing 2009 Rich Township RepoRT 7

Township E.S.D.A. assists local police

Senior companion loves her clients

When senior companion Rosetta Williams was assigned to assist a 63-year-old man who had a bullet lodged in his brain, she went to work getting him the care he badly needed.

At the age of 23, the man had been shot in the head by gang members in Cabrini Green, as he was going to the store. He was par-alyzed on his right side and had im-paired hearing and vision. Prior to the shooting, he was a family man with a steady job.

Rosetta, 60, was assigned by Rich Township to be his senior compan-ion. Senior companions are healthy older adults who help other se-niors live independently by provid-ing assistance with daily errands. They also socialize with seniors, transport them to doctor’s appoint-ments, and alert doctors and family members to potential health prob-lems. Rich Township administers the federal program for the entire Cook County suburban area.

Rosetta, a longtime Park Forest resident, immediately took action to help her client, who lives in Rich-ton Park. She found out that he had not seen a doctor in five years, had extreme difficulty walking, and was not taking any medication, despite having had a series of small strokes due to high blood pressure.

“I took him to a doctor,” Rosetta said. “I talked with his mother and informed her that he was eligible for Medicare and disability. I found an agency that got him a wheelchair, a special hospital bed and a new walker. I arranged for a nurse to come in and check his blood pres-sure regularly. I also arranged for a home health care doctor to visit. He was put on blood pressure medica-tion. I also got him a personal male assistant through the Brain Injury Association of Illinois.”

After arranging all the help her client needed, Rosetta moved on to three new clients. One of her favor-ite clients resides at an assisted liv-ing facility in Park Forest.

“She has no family and has Al-zheimer’s,” Rosetta said. “We take Bible class together, play Uno and bingo, or sit and sing. She looks forward to seeing me. I take her to the doctor and to the movies. We go shopping and out to lunch.”

Before retiring, Rosetta worked for the Cook County Housing Au-

Sertoma Centre Inc. came to Rich Township about two and a half years ago, with the opening of the Good as New Thrift Store at 4331 West Lincoln Highway in Matteson. The goal was to of-fer new and gently used cloth-ing and household items at very affordable prices to those who needed them. Equally important, the store served as a first job ex-perience for individuals with dis-abilities at Sertoma Centre. Over one-third of those Sertoma serves want jobs in the community in-stead of working in a sheltered workshop. The store offered them a trial opportunity at a commu-nity job. So far, this training has had a very good effect on their ability to maintain jobs in the community when hired, accord-ing to Communications Director Melanie Jones.

On September 1, another large section of the building was opened as Sertoma’s Mental Health Program. Thirty individu-als with a primary diagnosis of mental illness will use this site for

their own enrichment programs. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Oct. 13 and attended by Rich Township Supervisor Al Riley

Soon, additional space with-in the facility will open to offer various counseling programs to members of the community. Ser-toma’s intent is to provide group sessions in stress management, other self-help and enrichment options, and affordable resources for those with emotional needs.

Sertoma Centre is a commu-nity service agency that offers 13 programs to individuals with de-velopmental, physical, emotional disabilities and/or mental illness. Sertoma programs support more than 650 individuals from across the Chicagoland area, ranging in age from 16 through senior citi-zens.

For more information, to vol-unteer or support the Centre, or to learn how to donate products to the store, go to www.sertoma-centre.org or call Melanie Jones at 371-9700.

Sertoma Centre expands Matteson facility

Rich Township’s volunteer E.S.D.A. Department regularly provides local police departments with vital support, along with special emergency equipment and vehicles. Below is a review of the E.S.D.A.’s most recent efforts dur-ing a number of serious accidents in the area• Seven-car accident on September 18

– Assisted Olympia Fields and Flossmoor police with traffic and crowd control after a seven-car accident at the intersection of Vollmer Road and Governors Highway. Sixteen people were injured. During the evening hours, E.S.D.A. brought in its high-powered light truck to illuminate the acci-dent scene for investigators.

• Four-car accident on September 21 – Assisted Olympia Fields police and Cook

County Sheriff’s police with a four-car crash with injuries on Crawford Avenue and the entrance to St. James Hospital.

• Train wreck on October 3 – Helped Mat-teson Police and Fire with a train wreck in-volving two trains on the CNN railroad line. Two of the tanker cars were carrying chlo-rine and acid. E.S.D.A. assisted in diverting traffic away from the Main Street railroad crossing for four hours.

• Fatal accident on October 3-4 – Provided assistance to police while they investigated a fatal accident involving a car and a pe-destrian at 168th Street and Park Avenue in Hazel Crest.

• Four-car crash on October 10 – Helped Matteson Police and Fire with traffic and crowd control during a four-car crash in-volving a fatality and injured persons at 216th Street and Governors Highway.

Senior Companion Rosetta Williams wears her trademark hat as she pre-pares to visit her next client.

thority, where she trained people to work for Walgreens. Later, she was employed by the Chicago Christian Industrial League as a social work-er and counselor.

In the mid-90s, Rosetta suffered a light stroke. During her nine-month recovery in the hospital, she asked God what He wanted her to do with the rest of her life.

“It came to me in a revelation—He told me He wanted me to work with children and older people.”

Shortly after getting out of the hospital, her grand-niece asked her to care of her three babies—Taylor, and twins Jayden and Jordan—so she could go back to work as a teacher.

“I wondered how I was going to do it. But those babies helped me to recover. They brought me out of my depression after my illness.”

Rosetta said she enjoys her work as a senior companion and likes to keep her clients laughing and hap-py.

“They’re lonely—their kids are not there, or they don’t have fam-ily. They’re grateful to have me. They’re happy to see me coming. I enjoy working with them. I love doing this. It’s not a job. It gets me out of the house and working with people.”

Rosetta’s daughter, Melanie Ma-clin-Carroll, is a dermatologist and is featured in Chris Rock’s new film, “Good Hair.” Her son, Melvin Maclin, is a plastic surgeon in St. Louis. Rosetta has three grandchil-dren.

A group of individuals in the Sertoma program baked and sold cookies as a fund-raising project for their program.

Free memory screeningThe Park Forest Health Department, Nurses Plus, will

administer a free memory screening on Thursday, Novem-ber 12, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Shirley J. Green Senior Center. Please feel free to stop by during our weekly blood pressure check to have your memory tested. This health stop will be held on the second Thursday instead of the fourth Thursday due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

8 Rich Township RepoRT spRing 2009

Your Rich Township Officials

SupervisorAl Riley748-6722

ClerkBobbie G.King748-6722

AssessorCarol Ranieri748-6722

CollectorCarol Marshall748-6722

Highway CommissionerCalvinJordan747-3616

TrusteeTherese H.Goodrich748-6722

TrusteeElliott H.Johnson748-6722

TrusteeNick Bobis748-6722

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. Layout and Design by Cory Ottenwess.

Holiday Bazaar & Bake Sale

CNN celebrates Halloween

A group of seniors enjoy a Volunteer Thank-you Lun-cheon hosted by Rich Township at the Senior Center.

Jazz in the Park draws big crowds

Volunteers needed

More than 1,200 people attended Jazz in the Park for Charity, sponsored by Supervsior Al Riley.

The event took place July 26 in Olympia Fields’ Bi-centennial Park and featured jazz artists Ava Logan, Nick Colionne and The Afro-Semitic Experience. The event also included great food from local restaurants.

Proceeds from Jazz in the Park benefited many south suburban not-for-profit organizations, including CAAN Academy of Nursing, Delta Sigma Theta Sorori-ty, Inc., Grand Prairie Services Foundation, the League of Women Voters, and many more.

“Jazz In The Park for Charity 2009 was almost a two year labor of love,” Riley said. “It ensured that a great destination event would continue after a one year hia-tus. I was very proud to be the sponsor of Jazz In The Park. Close to 1,200 people came out to hear not only a world class performance by three great artists, but to partake all of the amenities of our Southland region.”

Riley said another Jazz in the Park event with world-class artists is currently being planned for 2010. It will be held again in Bicentennial Park in Olympia Fields. The date will be announced in upcoming issues of the Rich Township newsletter, as well as in local news-papers. If you missed Jazz in the Park this year, don’t miss this one-of-a-kind jazz celebration in 2010.

Senior citizens are invited to don a cos-tume and celebrate Halloween at noon on Friday, October 30, at the Communi-ty Nutrition Network Site, located inside Rich Township’s Shirley J. Green Se-nior Center, 297 Lib-erty Drive, Down-town Park Forest.

Members of the Park Forest Police Department and Fire Department will judge the cos-tumes and present fun awards to the winners. This year’s judges will include Park Forest Police Chief Tom Fleming and Deputy Police Chief Mike McNa-mara.

Seniors can enjoy a nutritious lunch at the party for a suggested donation of $2.25. If you are inter-ested in attending, please call 747-2700 to reserve a meal.

The Community Nutrition Network site provides lunch weekdays to senior citizens. All seniors, re-gardless of their income level, are eligible for the CNN lunch program. The CNN site is open to all south suburban residents, including those living outside of Rich Township. Participants must be 60 years of age or older. The suggested donation for lunch is $2.25. Lunch is served Monday through Friday at noon. Bingo begins at 11 a.m. For more information or to make a reservation for lunch, phone 747-2700.

The Rich Township Senior Center needs nurs-es to take blood pressure readings on Thursday mornings from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Senior Center is also seeking volunteers to deliver meals-on-wheels to the homebound. Vol-unteers will be reimbursed for mileage. Call Senior Director Sally Fuhrmann at 748-5454.

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

Start your Christmas shopping early at a Holi-day Craft Bazaar and Bake Sale on Friday, Novem-ber 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Shirley J. Green Senior Center, 297 Liberty Drive, downtown Park Forest.

We welcome any crafter and/or baker to par-ticipate. Tables are offered free of charge. This ba-zaar and bake sale is designated for handmade or home-baked items only. Those interested in selling items at the Craft and Bake Sale may call the Cen-ter at 748-5454.

Participants who are 60 years of age or older are invited to lunch at the Community Nutrition Network Senior Dining site, located inside the Se-nior Center. Lunch reservations should be made in advance by calling 747-2700. A hot noon meal will be served for a donation of $2.25. Coffee and goodies will be served throughout the day.

Phyllis Camplin of Park For-est stands next to a Hallow-een tree that she decorated at the Senior Center.

Steve Parr of Park Forest (left) and Max Geldean of Olympia Fields volunteer at the Rich Township Food Pantry.

South suburban residents listen to the jazz stylings of Nick Colionne.