Lansing, Illinois, celebrates past with an eye toward the future
Lansing’s new History Plaza is an attractive use of a visible corner. Lansing hopes that improving the entry into the Ridge Road business district will attract new businesses and shoppers. (Photo: Melanie Jongsma)
by Melanie Jongsma
LANSING, Ill. (September 2017) – While the construction and plantings at the southwest corner of Ridge Road and Burnham Avenue are visually appealing, Lansing’s new History Plaza also serves a forward-thinking purpose—by improving the entry into the Ridge Road business district, Lansing hopes to attract new businesses and shoppers. The project also includes a “greatly needed” parking lot expansion for the Village Municipal Center and for downtown businesses within walking distance.
The $363,005 project is being 100% funded by the Ridge Road TIF, which will expire in December 2023. According to illinois-tif.com, “TIF funds may be used for costs associated with the development or redevelopment of property within the TIF, allowing blighted, declining and underperforming areas to again become viable….”
An artist’s depiction shows the Brickyard-themed panel. Other panels will showcase Agriculture, Aviation, and the Ridge.During the planning stages, the architects consulted the Lansing Historical Society to gather information on early Lansing heritage, transportation, and industry. Their input led to the five historical themes that the History Plaza will bring to life: Agriculture, Brickyards, Aviation, the Ridge, and Three Municipalities Become One. These themes will be depicted in a series of artistic panels. The panels will all be cut out of aluminum, in the style of scherenschnitte, a German paper-cutting technique. The style pays tribute to Lansing’s German heritage.
Lansing was originally three neighborhoods—Bernice, Oak Glen, and Lansing. The three merged in 1893, and this central structure pays tribute to that union. The empty pillars in this September 28 photo will support sculptures that depict three children with toy airplanes—a nod to our aviation history. Mayor Eidam says, “The combination of the innocence and curiosity of youth along with the proud tradition and history of our Village is the perfect blend for a symbolic project like this.” Four artistic panels, each depicting a historical theme, will surround the planter. (Photo: Melanie Jongsma)Materials, plants, and design throughout the plaza have been carefully chosen to represent specific Lansing themes. For example, sand-colored pavers form the main pathways and represent the sandy ridge—now known as Ridge Road—that was created by receding Lake Michigan. The bricks ringing the central planter pay tribute to the brickyards that dominated our early economy. Native plants have been installed in the landscaping, including Bluestem Prairie Grass (our state grass) and White Oak (our state tree).
Final plantings around the Lansing History Plaza are scheduled to be installed in spring of 2018.
Lansing’s biggest construction project is on track for Autumn Fest 2018
The Fox Pointe amphitheater begins to take shape. (Photo: Ashlee De Wit)
by Ashlee De Wit
Artist’s rendering of the amphitheater—this will be the main stage for music and entertainment.LANSING, Ill. (September 27, 2017) – Grass seed is planted, concrete is poured, and structural steel is being installed as progress continues at Fox Pointe in downtown Lansing. Development is on track for the official opening, which will be just in time for the site’s biggest event: Autumn Fest.
Construction on Fox Pointe, located at Randolph and Henry Streets, started in June.
“The goal for this year is to get as much of the site work completed as possible, weather permitting,” said Village Engineer Jeff Pintar of Robinson Engineering. “All indications are that the buildings and whole site will be ready sometime in the summer of 2018 for the fall Autumn Fest.”
A year off
Autumn Fest, which is sponsored by the Lansing Association for Community Events (L.A.C.E.) and is typically held in the Fox Pointe area, was canceled this fall because of the construction. Other Lansing sites were considered, but ultimately, none were capable of hosting the annual event. L.A.C.E. instead held a Family, Fun, & Fireworks event at the Lansing Country Club on September 9.
“The Village of Lansing is undertaking a very large and exciting project in 2017: the redevelopment of Fox Pointe,” reads a L.A.C.E. Facebook post from earlier this year. “While this project will reap many benefits for our community, the timing and size of the project will not allow us to hold Autumn Fest in 2017. We hope you will mark your calendars for October 5, 6, and 7, 2018. We look forward to the Grand Opening of Fox Pointe with our 2018 Autumn Fest!”
Enhancing and attracting
JMA Architects is responsible for the structural work on the Fox Pointe property, which includes a number of permanent structures that will enhance Autumn Fest and other events.
The completed project will be a multi-use property: a festival park and a concert venue that includes an amphitheater and pavilion, as well as a ticket booth, concession stand, and restrooms. The materials used in construction will match those used at Village Hall and the new History Plaza. The Village intends for Fox Pointe to serve as a distinct Lansing location that brings people to town.
“Right now, we are finishing concrete foundations and slabs for the buildings,” said Jim Maciejewski, owner of JMA. “Some steel framing is starting to be erected—the open-air pavilion has some steel going up, and pretty soon we will be starting structural steel for the amphitheater. Also in the next one to two weeks, masonry installation will begin.” When completed, Fox Pointe will be a multi-use property: a festival park and a concert venue that includes an amphitheater and pavilion (top right and left), as well as a ticket booth, concession stand, and restrooms (bottom). The materials used in construction will match those used at Village Hall and the new History Plaza. The Village intends for Fox Pointe to serve as a distinct Lansing location that brings people to town. “It will be pretty spectacular for Lansing when it’s finished,” said architect Jim Maciejewski.
Re-directing and connecting
The completed Fox Pointe will be between Park Plaza on Ridge Road and Grant Street (the site of the downtown clock tower) and Winterhoff Park, at Roy and Madison Streets (north and west of the Public Works area shown on the rendering). The Pennsy Greenway bike path will run alongside all three downtown Lansing sites. (Click to enlarge and download.)Randolph Street and 181st Place are being re-directed for the project; when it is completed, there will be one through street that runs from Henry Street to Roy Street, near the Lansing Post Office.
The completed Fox Pointe will be between Park Plaza on Ridge Road and Grant Street (the site of the downtown clock tower) and Winterhoff Park, at Roy and Madison Streets. The Pennsy Greenway bike path will connect all three downtown Lansing sites.
“People will be able to walk or bike safely from Park Plaza to Winterhoff Park, through or around Fox Pointe,” Pintar said.
Funding
Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds are paying for the work at Fox Pointe. TIFs are set up to channel property tax revenue from a defined area toward community improvement. The funds have to be used for community improvement within the TIF district within a certain amount of time. Fox Pointe is within Lansing’s Ridge Road TIF district.
Multi-purposing
The newly constructed Santa House is adjacent to Fox Pointe. Ken Reynolds, Mayor Eidam’s Executive Assistant and Director of Communications for the Village of Lansing, noted that outside the Christmas season, the Village hopes to use the small building for other purposes.
“We want that building to be multi-purpose, so as we develop Fox Pointe, it is very possible that that building could be used for events in some way, shape, or form,” he said.
According to Maciejewski, several of the Fox Pointe contractors have donated labor, materials, or both for the construction of the Santa House—all while staying on schedule for their work at the Fox Pointe site. “Buildings are going up pretty much as planned,” he said. “There’s still a lot of work to do, but it’s starting to take shape. It will be pretty spectacular for Lansing when it’s finished.”
by Jane Bokun, District 215 Communications Director
LANSING, Ill. (October 5, 2017) – Culinary programs are becoming well known in community high schools, but TF South High School has taken food freshness to the next level.
The school received funding from the Cook County Farm Bureau® Cookfresh® Community Urban Garden Grant Program to buy seeds, plantings, and garden materials that allowed Thornton Fractional students to take their vegetables from farm to table.
“We wanted to use plant-based learning and wellness initiatives to teach our students how to have a healthier diet,” says Dr. Creg Williams.
“The children planted fruits and vegetables and took ownership of their products,” said District 215 Superintendent Dr. Creg E. Williams. “We wanted to use plant-based learning and wellness initiatives to teach our students how to have a healthier diet.”
Along the way, students also learned about new foods. The harvested fruits and vegetables were used in TF North and South cafeterias. Additionally, TF South’s foods are used to aid the Lansing Food Pantry.
About 75 students participate in the yearly garden project, including students in carpentry, culinary arts, biology, and special education.
TF South High School is located at 18500 Burnham Avenue in Lansing. For more information about the district’s farm-to-table program, visit www.tfd215.org or contact Jane Bokun, District 215 Communications Director, at 708-585-2345 or [email protected].
Money questions, solicitor restrictions, new guns, and more
by Melanie Jongsma
Village Board meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of every month at the Municipal Court Complex, 2710 170th Street. The Committee of the Whole meeting begins at 7:00pm, and typically at that meeting items are brought up for review and discussion among the Trustees. A Village Board meeting follows the Committee of the Whole meeting. At each Village Board meeting, the Trustees are voting on items that have been discussed at the Committee of the Whole meeting two weeks previous. All meetings are open to the public. The highlights below are from the Committee of the Whole and Village Board meetings that took place October 3, 2017. (Click the links to view the agendas for these meetings.)
Questions about hiring JPH Incorporated
Village Administrator Dan Podgorski explained that the Director of Development position is still vacant, and the Village has a lot of economic development projects that need attention, so he is making a recommendation to bring on professional help part-time. JPH Incorporated (no website available) would provide an estimated 25–30 hours of work per month to Lansing.
Trustee Maureen Grady-Perovich questioned the proposed salary for JPH, which works out to about $80/hour. She had done some research and learned that customary rates for this type of work are closer to $35/hour. “I don’t know where the $80 came from,” she said during the discussion before the vote. “I can’t find it in any of the literature. I’ve done a lot of homework on this because I’m really a big proponent of anyone who’s going to help us economically develop our community. I just have a few more questions, and I’m hoping we can postpone this vote for two more weeks so I can get some more answers.”
Podgorski asked the Board for input on whether they would be willing to delay the vote. Trustees Delaurentis and Manno were willing to move ahead. Trustee Skrbina preferred to wait, saying, “$35 and $80 is quite a bit of difference. It is the taxpayers’ money—maybe we should look into it.” Trustee Hardy expressed eagerness to avoid further delays of economic development projects. Following the discussion, Trustee Delaurentis moved to approve Resolution #1015, authorizing the execution of a professional services agreement with JPH Incorporated. Trustee Manno seconded, and the votes were as follows:
Trustee Delaurentis: Aye
Trustee Manno: Aye
Trustee Grady-Perovich: No
Trustee Hardy: Aye
Trustee Skrbina: No
Mayor Eidam: Aye
(Trustee Zeldenrust was absent with notice.)
Solicitors in Lansing
In response to numerous complaints from residents being solicited by, in particular, energy companies trying to convince people to switch services, Clerk Vivian Payne presented a recommendation about how the Village handles solicitor permits. Her proposal includes increasing permit fees for solicitors, reducing the permit duration from one year to 30 days, requiring a background check on all solicitors, and requiring proof of insurance for vehicles used by solicitors.
The Village does already issue badges to solicitors, and that practice would continue. The badge shows the Village logo, the expiration date of the permit, a photo of solicitor, and verbiage indicating that the solicitor is not a Village employee. Clerk Payne encouraged residents, “If a solicitor comes to your door, and you’re not sure, ask to see that badge. If they don’t have a badge, you should close the door immediately and call the police non-emergency number and give a description of the person.”
Restrictions on solicitation do not apply to church groups or youth organizations such as the Girl Scouts. The proposal will be put on the agenda to be voted on at the October 17 Village Board meeting.
New guns
Chief Dennis Murrin requests new handguns for the Lansing Police Department. (Photo: Melanie Jongsma)
Police Chief Dennis Murrin explained that he would like to purchase new handguns for the police department, since the weapons have not been changed out since 2004. The current duty weapon is a SIG Sauer 40 caliber handgun, which is “extremely dependable.” Chief Murrin would like to purchase the same gun, but the new ones would have a rail mount underneath the barrel, which would allow officers to affix a flashlight. The cost of the new weapon is $645.
Chief Murrin asked that the purchase be made from the Asset Forfeiture Fund, which was used to purchase the current weapons, and that the Board consider waiving the bid process because the purchase would be made directly from the gun manufacturer. Chief Murrin also requested permission to allow officers to buy back their weapons at the trade-in price of $375.
The new guns would require new holsters, which the Lansing Police Department will provide. The flashlights would be purchased separately by officers who want them.
Board members attend Illinois Municipal League Conference in Chicago
Mayor Eidam mentioned in her report that the Illinois Municipal League Conference was held in Chicago September 21–23. She explained, “The IML is an amazing educational and networking opportunity for all Illinois municipal officials. There were sessions on everything from issues facing local governments to FOIA updates, from maximizing tax revenue to economic incentives beyond TIF districts, from social media issues to a mayors’ roundtable—over 80 one-hour sessions were available.” Village Board members who attended the conference included Village Administrator Dan Podgorski, Treasurer Arlette Frye, Clerk Vivian Payne, Executive Assistant Ken Reynolds, and Trustees Brian Hardy, Jerry Zeldenrust, and Maureen Grady-Perovich.
Former Chicago Bears Coach Mike Ditka posed with Mayor Patti Eidam and Trustee Jerry Zeldenrust at the Illinois Municipal League Conference in Chicago last month. Ditka was the keynote speaker on September 22. (Photo from the Village of Lansing Facebook page)
The next Committee of the Whole meeting and Village Board meeting are scheduled for October 17 at 7:00pm. Meetings are held in the Lansing Court Complex at the Police Station, 2710 170th Street in Lansing, Illinois. Agendas for these meetings are to be posted at least 48 hours prior, and they are typically found on the Village website.
Owner Kris O’Connor was pleased to welcome dozens of guests at her ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 4, 2017. (Photo: Melanie Jongsma)LANSING, Ill. (October 4, 2017) – “It means the world to me. It makes my heart happy,” said Kris O’Connor, owner of Classy Cuts salon. She was delighted to welcome dozens of people to her official ribbon-cutting event Wednesday morning.
The actual cutting of the ribbon was a small part of the event, and guests lingered and mingled for more than 90 minutes following the ceremony. A wealth of cookies, pastries, and tiny muffins fed the crowd, and a make-your-own mimosa or Bloody Mary bar added to the party atmosphere.
Guests lingered and mingled after the official cutting of the ribbon.With instructions written on the mirror, guests were encouraged to make their own mimosas and Bloody Marys.
Classy Cuts is located at3365 Ridge Road, Suite 4. Call 708-858-6056 for information or appointments.
Send us photos or selfies of Lansing residents reading The Lansing Journal somewhere in Lansing.
The response
We received more photos than we could print in the October 4, 2017, issue! So we created some albums on our Facebook page where we can share all the photos. We posted a total of four albums:
These four albums on our Facebook page complement the 14 photos we were able to fit in the print edition. Thank you to all the Lansing residents, businesses, and photographers who participated in our Community Photography feature for the October 4 issue—it was fun to see the variety of subjects, locations, and photographic styles we have in Lansing!
Paul Orich creates coloring pages from sketches of local homes
by Carrie Steinweg
Lansing, Ill. (September 2017) – Paul Orich has been looking at his Schultz Park neighborhood through the eyes of an artist. On walks through town he’s brought along a graph paper grid pad and sketched out some of the attractive homes he encounters. Those sketches have then been perfected at home and turned into coloring pages.
One of Paul Orich’s coloring book sketches, stylized after homes in Schultz Park (Download PDF)
Orich’s original idea was to make a calendar that could be colored in, and he completed a dozen sketches of homes in Schultz Park or just outside of Schultz Park on Ridge Road. “Some of it is stylized, and some of it is visually accurate as to the buildings,” he said.
In a world where everything is digital, Orich’s designs are all done the old-fashioned way, using pencil and paper techniques he learned from mechanical drawing class at Harlan High School. He enjoyed the class so much that he ended up working a part-time, after-school job in high school for an electrical engineer. “I used a graph paper kind of approach to drawing architecture,” he said of his home sketches.
A retired educator, Orich spent 30 years as an art teacher at Harper and Crane High Schools in Chicago and later Wentworth Junior High School in Calumet City. In 2012, he earned designation as an Illinois Artisan in Folk Art for his work in creating art pieces from cardboard.
Some of Orich’s drawings have been seen at Troost Coffee & Tea, where they are offered with crayons for young customers to color in. Some have been printed in the Northwest Indiana Times’ monthly Your Family section. Orich is also working with the Lansing Historical Society to create a small book of six images and some historical text about the area; the booklets could then be provided to elementary school students.
Orich’s images have been put together in a self-published coloring book, “In the Neighborhood.” The coloring book is available for purchase online at www.paulorich.com.
Note: Paul Orich gave permission for The Lansing Journal to include one of his Schultz Park coloring pages in the October 4 print issue, and online as a downloadable PDF. Thank you, Paul.
Village Board meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of every month at the Municipal Court Complex, 2710 170th Street, following the Committee of the Whole meeting that begins at 7:00pm. Meetings are open to the public. Typically, at a Village Board meeting, the Trustees are voting on items that have been discussed at the Committee of the Whole meeting two weeks previous.
Call To Order
Roll Call
Approval Of Minutes From Village Board Meeting On September 19, 2017
Mayor’s Report
Village Administrator Report
A. Resolution # 1015, Authorizing The Execution Of A Professional Services Agreement With JPH Incorporated
Village Attorney Report
Finance & Police – Trustee Zeldenrust
A. Approval Of Bills & Payroll
B. Resolution # 1016, Authorizing The Transfer Of Incremental Revenues From The Special Tax Allocation Funds Of Contiguous Tax Increment Financing Districts
C. Resolution # 1017, Authorizing The Execution Of An Intergovernmental Agreement For Cooperative 9-1-1 Services Between The Village Of Lansing And The City Of Calumet City
Airport – Trustee Delaurentis
Fire & I.T. & LNN – Trustee Manno
Public Works & ADA – Trustee Skrbina
Building & Economic Development – Trustee Hardy
A. Resolution # 1018, Supporting A Class 8 Real Estate Tax Assessment Classification Application By KJ Investors Group, Inc. Located At 18100-18116 Torrence Avenue (Popeye’s Restaurant)
B. Ordinance # 17-019, Granting A Special Use To Allow A Paint Spray Booth Use In A Truck Repair Business Within The B-3 General Business District (2150 Bernice Road)
Youth Center & Insurance – Trustee Grady-perovich
A. Authorize Alliant/Mesirow To Collect Bids For General Liability & Workers Compensation Insurance For The Upcoming Policy Year Of 12/1/17 – 11/30/18
Public Comment
Old Business
New Business
Adjourn To Executive Session To Discuss Collective Bargaining Matters – 5ILCS 120/2(C)(2)
Adjournment
To make sure you receive notifications about community meetings like this, subscribe to the online version of The Lansing Journal:
Committee of the Whole meetings are held at 7:00pm on the first and third Tuesdays of every month at the Municipal Court Complex, 2710 170th Street. Meetings are open to the public. Typically, a Committee of the Whole meeting is where discussion of items takes place prior to those items being voted on at an official Village Board meeting.
Call To Order & Pledge Of Allegiance
Roll Call
Approval Of Minutes Of C.O.W. On September 19, 2017
Mayor’s Report
A. Assignment Of I.T. Department To Committee – Trustee Manno
Village Administrator Report
A. Update Vacation Request – 17700 Jeffrey Ave.
B. Solicitor Permits
Village Attorney Report
Finance & Police – Trustee Zeldenrust
A. Duty Handgun Purchase
Airport – Trustee Delaurentis
Fire & I.T. & LNN – Trustee Manno
Public Works & ADA – Trustee Skrbina
Building & Economic Development – Trustee Hardy
Youth Center & Insurance – Trustee Grady-Perovich
Public Comment – Restricted To Items On This Agenda Only
Old Business
New Business
Adjournment
To make sure you receive notifications about community meetings like this, subscribe to the online version of The Lansing Journal:
Joey surprised with special certificate from Thornton Township
by Carrie Steinweg
Bowler Joey Glowacki was selected as one of only 46 Illinois athletes who will travel to Seattle next July to participate in the Special Olympics USA Games. At the LARC Fish Fry on September 29 he was surprised with a certificate of recognition. Pictured from left: Barb Tomczak, Special Services/Assesor Clerk and coach of Thornton Township Bowling Busters; Joseph Glowacki, Sr.; Joey Glowacki; Thornton Township Supervisor Frank Zuccarelli; Norbert Cipowski, Thornton Township Trustee; Cassandra Holbert, Thornton Township Assessor; and Ernie Gonzalez, Executive Director of LARC.LANSING, Ill. (September 29, 2017) – A client of LARC, an agency in Lansing that serves adults with developmental disabilities, received some special recognition at LARC’s Annual Fish Fry on September 29. Joey Glowacki is headed to the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle next July to participate in the bowling portion.
Glowacki has been bowling at Lan-Oak Lanes for the past seven years with the Thornton Township Bowling Busters. Beverly Tomczak, Special Services/Assessor Clerk for Thornton Township, and Mona Orellena, coach the group of about 65 special needs bowlers ranging from age 21–74. The group bowls weekly throughout the year. “Joey is a very good sport. He’s always ready to help out the next guy and always roots on the other members. It’s not all about skill, but very much about sportsmanship,” said Tomczak.
Being selected to advance to the USA games is quite unusual and only a small number of athletes in the state have this opportunity. “This is the first time that we’re aware of that an athlete in one of our programs has done this,” said Thornton Township Supervisor Frank Zuccarelli, who surprised Glowacki with the announcement and presented him with a certificate.
Pictured here with Chris Winston, Chief Marketing Officer for Special Olympics, Joey proudly displays his certificate of recognition from Thornton Township. Joey has been bowling weekly for the past seven years as part of the Bowling Busters team. “He really loves to bowl,” says Joey’s mom, Barb Glowacki. “He’s ‘Mr. Sociable.’”Glowacki will travel with Special Olympics Illinois, who provides flights, meals, lodging, and uniforms at no charge. Glowacki will join athletes competing in the sports of basketball, unified bocce, artistic gymnastics, powerlifting, swimming, and unified tennis.
“Of over 23,000 athletes in the state of Illinois, just 46 of them are going to the USA Games,” said Chris Winston, Chief Marketing Officer for Special Olympics Illinois. “It’s a great honor for any athlete because their journey to get there has been paved with gold medals.”
Joey Glowacki’s mother, Barb Glowacki, noted that he made it to the state level last year. “He really loves to bowl,” she said. “He’s ‘Mr. Sociable’ and makes friends everywhere he goes.”
Besides bowling, Joey enjoys video games, computers, cooking, and working in LARC’s workshop where he reports for his job each weekday to do box assembly.
Winston said that the 2018 USA games will happen just a couple weeks before Special Olympics celebrates its 50th anniversary. That celebration will happen in Chicago where the Special Olympics began.
