MORE GOVERNING BODIES MOVE TO ELIMINATE PENSIONS FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS

As more governing bodies eliminate pensions for elected officials it will be hard for DuPage County to justify their own program.

Wheatland ends pension program here.

Tazewell County Board members call for elimination of county board pensions here.

ELECTROMAGNET MAKES ITS WAY TO FERMILAB

ROAD CLOSURES THIS WEEK FOR MOVE OF 50-FOOT-WIDE ELECTROMAGNET TO FERMILAB

Rolling closures on tollways, state and county roads during late night and early morning hours

DOWNERS GROVE, IL – Scientists from the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory will move a 50-foot-wide circular electromagnet from Lemont to the laboratory site in Batavia this week, necessitating rolling road closures overnight on two portions of the Illinois Tollway and several state and DuPage County roads.

The electromagnet (which is not magnetic until plugged in at Fermilab) arrived in Lemont on Saturday, July 20, and was moved from a barge to a specially designed truck, which will drive it along interstate routes and through suburban streets to Fermilab over three consecutive nights this week, July 23-25. The full route and frequent updates about the move are posted at Fermilab’s Big Move website here: http://muon-g-2.fnal.gov/bigmove.

The ring will be transported at night, using rolling roadblocks to close off intersections. The route includes portions of the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355) and the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), along with parts of state routes 53, 56 and 59 and several local roads. The closures may affect those traveling during the overnight hours this week and drivers are advised to leave early in order to arrive at their destinations on time.

Crews will be working ahead of the moving truck to remove signs and other obstacles in the roadway, and will replace them as soon as the caravan moves through. Roads will be re-opened as soon as possible, and traffic disruption will be kept to a minimum.

The schedule of the move:

·         Tuesday, July 23/Wednesday, July 24, beginning at 9 p.m.: Rolling closures are scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. on Lemont Road from Bluff Road north to 87^th Street. All northbound and southbound I-55 exit ramps to Lemont Road will be closed Tuesday night, July 23, from approximately 9 p.m. to midnight. All activity will clear overnight and normal operations are assured by 12 a.m. Wednesday.

·         Boughton Road (87th Street) to a parking location east of I-355 – Rolling closures are scheduled to begin at 11:30 p.m. at Boughton Road and Woodward Avenue. All activity will clear overnight and normal operations are assured by 2 a.m. Wednesday.

Wednesday, July 24/Thursday, July 25, beginning at 11:30 p.m.:

·         Boughton Road (87th Street) to Veterans Memorial Parkway (I-355)

·         I-355 to Route 56 (Butterfield Road) – Rolling, full closures of the northbound lanes between Boughton Road (87th Street) and Butterfield Road (Illinois Route 56) are scheduled to begin at midnight on Thursday. All activity on the Tollway will clear overnight and normal operations are assured by 5 a.m. on Thursday.

·         Illinois Route 56 to Illinois Route 53 – State routes will have rolling closures paced by Illinois State Police, with the traffic on those routes reopened to the public as soon as possible. All operations on state routes will be cleared no later than 5 a.m. Crews will remove and replace signs, lights and signals to facilitate the move.

·         Illinois Route 53 to a parking location just south of Illinois Route 56.

Thursday, July 25/Friday, July 26, beginning at 11 p.m.:

·         Illinois Route 53 to Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) - State routes will have rolling closures paced by Illinois State Police, with the traffic on those routes reopened to the public as soon as possible. All operations on state routes will be cleared no later than 5 a.m. Crews will remove and replace signs, lights and signals to facilitate the move.

·         I-88 to Illinois Route 59 - Rolling, full closures of the westbound lanes between Illinois Route 53 and Illinois Route 59 are scheduled to begin at midnight. All activity on the Tollway will clear overnight and normal operations are assured by 5 a.m. on Friday.

·         Illinois Route 59 to Ferry Road  - State routes will have rolling closures paced by Illinois State Police, with the traffic on those routes reopened to the public as soon as possible. All operations on state routes will be cleared no later than 5 a.m. Crews will remove and replace signs, lights and signals to facilitate the move.

·         Ferry Road to Eola Road – Rolling and full closures of Ferry Road from Route 59 to Eola Road are scheduled to begin at 1:30 a.m. All activity will clear overnight and normal operations are assured by 3 a.m. on Friday.

·          Eola Road to the Fermilab site – Rolling and full closures of Eola Road, from Ferry Road north to the Fermilab site, located at Butterfield Road/Illinois Route  56, are scheduled to begin at 2 a.m. on Friday. All activity will clear overnight and normal operations are assured by 5 a.m. on Friday, July 26.

On the afternoon of July 26, the ring will move the final few miles across the Fermilab site. The public is invited to come celebrate the ring’s arrival along with Fermilab scientists and employees, starting at 5:30 p.m. at Wilson Hall.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION IF YOU HAVE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE RECENT FLOOD

If you have had substantial damage caused by the recent flooding that potentially could impact the value of your property you may qualify for an assessment adjustment for  2013, tax payable in 2014.

It is important to note that if you live in York Township the deadline to complete the necessary paperwork is  August 16, 2013.

For more information please use the provided links.

If you live in Lisle Township you will find more information
here

If you live in York Township more information is available
here

Information for Downers Grove Township is not provided as the deadline was July 1, 2013.

DuPage County Cooling Sites

     If you need relief from the heat a link to DuPage County Cooling Sites is provided here

Lisle Flood - One Women's Words

I have been wanting to write about what the residents in Lisle have been though since April 18, 2013.  I was having difficulty finding the words.  I came across a letter in the Lisle Patch.   This is one women's story in her own profound words.  You can read her story here .

Lisle Flood

For the past month I have been working with a group of residents from Lisle.  These individuals have been through a very traumatic event.  In June, a meeting was arranged with the residents, myself and a FEMA representative.   Concerns of homelessness, financial hardship, illness, levees, flood ponds and trying to get these folks back to some kind of normal, were just a few of the topics we discussed.

Since the meeting in June, I have stayed in contact with the residents.  I have made many phone calls, sent many emails and had a meeting with several of the staff at DuPage County.  I have left messages for both Senators Dillard and Connelly.  I contacted and spoke with Congressman Foster's Office as well.   This morning we had a good meeting with the Village of Lisle's Mayor Broda and trustees.

On the fourth of July I received a text message from a resident that informed me they had found a place to stay together as a family.  They had been separated since the flood.  Although this family found a safe, clean and large enough space to live, there are many families that are displaced to this day.

At this time we are working on finding these folks temporary housing.  We are also trying to find some kind of financial relief through the FEMA buyout program or other programs.

I  contacted the DuPage Health Department to obtain information on contaminated soil and health concerns caused by the flood.  For those interested you can find that information here, here  and here.

For those that are having difficulties coping with the after affects of the flood please contact DuPage County at 630-407-6500 and ask for Information and Referrals.  DuPage County staff will connect with the proper agency for your situation.

As things progress I will update the blog.