Township gives $10,000

Lyons grant helps Greater Chicago Food Depository

By Steve Metsch

Lyons Township residents finding themselves in need will be helped thanks to a recently approved grant.

The township’s board of trustees at its May 12 meeting approved a $10,000 grant to the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

The grant helps support the food depository’s 12 mobile food pantry visits to the township in the next year.

Supervisor Christopher Getty said the township has “had a long-standing relationship and partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository and the (Hinsdale-based) Community Memorial Foundation.”

The mobile pantry offers free fresh fruit, vegetables and non-perishable groceries. Participants are recommended to bring their own bags.

“This year is no different than years past,” Getty said. “We’re looking to make sure that the underserved get food and support on behalf of the Township of Lyons and the General Assistance Fund.”

The trustees unanimously approved the grant.

The mobile pantry visits from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month.

The next visit will be at St. Blase Church, 7438 W. 61st Place in Summit, on July 21. The mobile pantry will also visit there Oct. 20, Dec. 15 and April 20.

The village of Hodgkins will welcome the pantry to 9096 Joliet Road on Aug. 18, Nov. 17, Feb. 16 and May 18.

The mobile pantry will visit the Justice Village Hall, 7800 Archer Road, on Sept. 15, Jan. 19, March 16 and June 15.

For more information, call the Greater Chicago Food Depository at 773-247-3663.

In other business, the board approved a contract to pay Duck’s Landscaping $180 per month for maintenance outside the town hall. That’s up $10 per month from last year, Getty said.

“They’re a longtime vendor,” Getty said. “They’ve been doing our landscaping, mowing and maintenance for quite some time … They usually serve the town hall for six to seven months of the year.”

Township Clerk Mike Porfirio said five bids were opened on May 6 for road resurfacing projects. Highway Commissioner Sean McDermott listed the resurfacing projects:

• 52nd Place east of Willow Springs Road near La Grange Hospital. The township owns 30 percent of the street and La Grange 70 percent, McDermott said.
• 63rd Street, Sunset to Blackstone.
• 65th Street, Willow Springs Road to Laurel.
• Timberview Lane west of Wolf Road.
• Edgewood Avenue, 54th Place to 54th Street.
• Harvey Avenue, 58th Place to 55th Place.
• Patching portions of Linden Avenue.

The lowest bidder was Schroeder Asphalt Service, which will be paid $295,800, Porfirio said.

The most pressing need may be found on 52nd Place. There, the township will handle the paving and La Grange will reimburse the township for 70 percent of the cost, McDermott said.

“The residents on the south side of 52nd Place are all La Grange Highlands residents, and they’ve been rather unhappy for many years of the condition of the road,” McDermott said. “We’ll get it fixed this year.”

Trustee Colleen Kelly, who oversees senior services, praised the township’s bus drivers for their service.

“They go out there every day,” Kelly said. “I give them a lot of credit for it I’m proud to have them in the township as drivers.”

Drivers are following CDC guidelines when trying to stop spread of the coronavirus, Kelly said.

“They are disinfecting the buses, wearing their masks, bringing all the passengers to much-needed medical appointments,” Kelly said. “They’ve slowed down on grocery and food trips except for those people who have no support.”

Getty said the annual summer youth employment program is still being operated this year.

“We’ve been coming up with some basic parameters,” Getty told the trustees. “We going to hold the program to 18 years or order. With the COVID-19 going on, we didn’t want to have a youth who is 16 or 17 working for the township, contract this and get sick and have a bad situation.”

“Additionally, we’re looking to continue our history of paying $1 above minimum wage, which would be $11.50 this year,” Getty said. “So far, the interest has been very light.”

Getty noted that some government agencies may be closed by the pandemic, but the township “will work to get these people placed and make sure they do have a job once we get them up and hired.”

Applications are available at the township website.

Kelly said, “It’s the right idea to change it to 18 years old.” But she suggested the age limit could be lowered to 16, if pandemic restrictions are relaxed in the summer.

Getty said that the minimum age for the jobs program could be lowered back to 16 if the pandemic is brought under better control this summer.

A public hearing for the township budgets will be held by teleconferencing at 6 p.m. today.

The township board’s next meeting is set for 6 p.m. June 9, by teleconference.