|
|
|
|
|
| Dateline: Will County - Friday, October 31, 2008While many holiday shoppers are sharpening their pencils and crafting their lists, the workers under the County Executive’s office have already met a gift-giving deadline. Employees, with help from some businesses, filled 100 stockings for Operation Support Our Troops Illinois, Inc. – and then some. An estimated 700 pounds of DVDs, hard candy, decks of cards, batteries, beef jerky, puzzle books and more were donated for our service men and women overseas.
Marie Tidwell, a legal assistant with the County Executive’s office, spearheaded the first-time effort. The goal was to fill 100 handmade stockings provided by the organization. The response was overwhelming. read more ... |
| Dateline:Will County - Friday, October 17, 2008Administrator Karen Sorbero thanks the County Board for the resolution recognizing the 40th anniversary of Sunny Hill Nursing Home of Will County during the regular meeting on Thursday, Oct. 16. The resolution was read by Commissioner Don Gould, chairman of the Health, Aging & Education Committee. Will County Executive Larry Walsh joined them at the podium. read more ... |
| Dateline: Will County - Friday, October 03, 2008After being named a prestigious Preserve America Community last spring, Will County was recently notified that it is one of only two Illinois communities identified as a recipient of a Preserve America grant for 2008. As grant initiator, the Will County’s Executive Office received the heads-up for $25,000 to use toward the Historic Preservation Commission’s rural historic structural intensive survey project. Overseen by the County’s Land Use Department, the HPC has been involved in this survey project since its inception.
“Earlier this year, we celebrated as a Preserve America community and hosted a tour to visit a few of the county’s historic sites,” said Will County Executive Larry Walsh. “Our roots are important, so coming together with mayors, board members and community members to enjoy a piece of history was a good thing. Now we can take another positive step toward historic preservation by receiving this competitive award.” read more ... |
| Dateline: Will County - Friday, September 19, 2008This has been a busy week, one that began with severe rains and flooding over the weekend. Throughout the County, residents and businesses witnessed destruction of property, road closures, utility interruptions, and other situations that affected the health and welfare of our citizens.
There has been a lot of press on the good work of our County employees during this critical time and I want to applaud the efforts of everyone involved. I would also like to personally thank Harold Damron and the EMA staff, John Cicero and the Health Department staff, Mike Shayand the ICT staff and Terri King and the Telecommunications staff for their collaborative efforts in keeping our residents and businesses a No. 1 priority while they worked (and continue to work) to assure this emergency sees a successful conclusion. read more ... |
| Dateline: Will County - Friday, September 05, 2008After a nationwide search that included candidates from as far away as Las Vegas, the new County Engineer was found within the Highway Department’s own ranks.Bruce Gould has replaced Sheldon Latz as the County Engineer (see story on Page 2). He assumed his new position on Monday, Sept. 2.
Gould, 55, has worked for the County for 31 years, most recently as the Assistant County Engineer. He is a civil engineer and lives in Wesley Township. read more ... |
| Dateline: Will County - Friday, August 22, 2008This week I’d like to acknowledge the efforts of Pat Fera and the Workforce Investment Board. Recently, the group released its 2008 Will County Economic Update, which shows we are in a good position when it comes to employment growth and job opportunities. With a difficult economy on the minds of most Americans, this is good news for the County. In fact, according to the U. S. Department of Labor, out of the 329 largest counties in the United States, Will County ranked 12th in employment growth from December 2006 to December 2007. And the County is holding its ground in 2008. read more ... |
| Dateline: Will County - Friday, August 08, 2008Recently, the Land Use Department began an initiative to further emphasize customer service .
The initiative is called The Will County Land Use Department Promise. Director Curt Paddocksaid the promise is meant to be a clear statement of the Department's service commitment to residents and business owners.
"The commitments of the promise are a constant reminder to us and our customers of our obligation to consistently listen, help and improve the quality of our service to the public," Paddock said.
The promise has been printed on flyers for personnel and customers, and posters are displayed throughout the Department. read more ... |
| Dateline: Will County - Friday, July 11, 2008Summer is in full swing and there are many fun, educational events going on. Two dates that I’d like to talk about today are The Manhattan and Elwood Senior Fair Expo and the 2008 Disability Forum. Both promise a lot of good information and resources for family and friends.
Caring for Our Seniors is the theme of the Manhattan and Elwood Senior Fair Expo on Tuesday, July 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Wilson Creek School, 25440 S. Gougar Road in Manhattan. Hosted by State Sen. A. J. Wilhelmi, State Rep. Jack McGuire, and myself, the free Expo will include more than 60 organizations and vendors of interest to seniors. But all ages are welcome read more ... |
| Dateliine: Will County - Friday, June 20, 2008Today is the day that summer 2008 makes its debut – and as most of you, I’m happy it has finally arrived. In fact, just two weeks from today, most of us will be getting together with family and/or friends to celebrate the 232nd birthday of our Nation’s independence. While many of us are observing the 4th of July holiday with parades, picnics, cookouts, outdoor games and fireworks, take time to be safe as well. First of all, protect yourself and loved ones by knowing fireworks safety and take note there are new regulations that recently went into effect. read more ... |
| Dateline: Will County - Friday, June 06, 2008As most of you are aware, we recently held a program and tour to honor Will County for receiving the Preserve America designation. The prestigious acknowledgement was granted by First Lady Laura Bush for the County’s dedication to the preservation of its historical buildings, landmarks and other noted sites.
Standing at the forefront of this accomplishment is Amy Munro, historic preservation manager, and the Will County Historic Preservation Commission. Together they have demonstrated a commitment to protect and understand cultural and natural heritage assets. The group also has worked to integrate these assets into the community through education and by showcasing their efforts. read more ... |
| Dateline:Will County - Friday, May 16, 2008A high-level government delegation from Guiyang, China, visited the County’s Emergency Management Agency (EMA) last week to learn about emergency management, disaster planning, and the U.S. emergency services model.
The 13-member delegation spent the day with staff as part of a collaborative effort between EMA and the Northern Illinois University Center for Governmental Studies in DeKalb. FOX News was also on-site covering the educational event. read more ... |
| Dateline:Will County - Friday, May 02, 2008During April, we celebrated Earth Day with several events and we continue to promote environmental awareness this month. Our Land Use Department has been working hard and has an exciting line-up of activities and events – and hopefully, all of you can participate in one way or another.
First of all, if you take time to clean out old shoes from your closets this weekend you can really help with our shoe collection event. It’ll be held at the Will County Office Building from Monday, May 6, to Friday, May 9. Marta Keane, recycling educator, says that they anticipate thousands of shoes will be collected throughout the week for donation to Share Your Soles, a non-profit agency in Alsip, or Nike’s Shoes to Tracks recycling program. read more ... |
| Dateline: Will County - Friday, April 18, 2008Congratulations to Curt Paddock and the Land Use Department, along with the county’s preservation manager, Amy Munro, (see more on Amy below) and the Historic Preservation Commission for helping to preserve the history, tradition and rich heritage of Will County. I applaud their hard work and commitment to historic preservation.
Not only has the Commission done a great job in preserving our past, but is recognized on a national level as well. In fact, I recently received a letter from First Lady Barbara Bush declaring Will County as a Preserve America Community. Mrs. Bush is the honorary chairman of the Preserve America Initiative and understands that receiving this distinction is no easy feat. read more ... |
| Dateline: Will County - Friday, March 07, 2008Well, we’ve made to March and hopefully the month will bring warmer days, more sunshine – and no more snow. Today’s column is going to consist of some of the news that has happened during the past several weeks that I hope you’ll find informative.
As you may have heard, for the first time in history, Will County will have a seat on the
Regional Transit Authority Board. The board serves as the corporate authority and governing body of the RTA and with this change in the governance structure, the board of directors will go from 13 to 16 members on April 1. With that in mind, I have recommended J. D. Ross, current executive director of the Will-Grundy Medical Center and former president of Joliet Junior College. I made the recommendation based on many factors, including his knowledge and competency. However, I also put forth his name because he is very respected throughout the community and known for his unbiased and ethical behavior. read more ... |
| Dateline: Will County - Friday, February 22, 2008With the ongoing talk of growth and expansion in Will County, discussion regarding
the aging and shrinking workforce is often put on the back burner. However, our Workforce Investment Board at the County recently released a Workforce Indicator Report urging businesses and organizations to take action before the issue impacts the economy.
Our shrinking workforce is the result of many variables. However, retirement of the Baby Boomer generation and a slower growth in the labor force are the most visible causes. Baby Boomers (1946-1964) represent about 76 million individuals in the United States - many who will begin retiring within the next few years. read more ... |
| Dateline: Will County - Friday, February 08, 2008Last Friday, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic (DCEO) held an information session in the County Board Room for not-for-profit organizations seeking funding to upgrade their Community Technology Centers (CTC). Known as Bridging the Digital Divide Grant Program, DCEO is offering grants up to $75,000 to help increase access to computers, telecommunications technologies and related training for populations residing in low income areas.
Although the session’s turnout was great, I want to make sure that all of you are aware of this excellent opportunity. With that in mind, I’m devoting this week’s column to providing additional information on the Digital Divide grant. With an application deadline of Friday, Feb. 15, there still is time to apply. read more ... |
| Dateline: Will County - Friday, January 25, 2008It’s winter, it’s cold - and the giving spirit of the holidays is merely a memory. So what better time than now to feel warm again by doing something nice for others? Here’s my challenge to all of you… Which department can collect the most food for a very worthy cause?
During the week of March 3, the County Executive’s Office will officially kick-off a food drive for the Spanish Community Center in Joliet. As part of a countywide event coordinated by Will County Recorder Laurie McPhillips, each elected official will host a week of collections within their departments. With an average of 50 individuals receiving
weekly food pantry assistance at the Spanish Center, the hope is to offer one bag of groceries per person. I know we can achieve that goal and more during our week! read more ... |
| Dateline: Will County - Friday, January 11, 2008Happy New Year to you all! It is my wish that 2008 brings you happiness, good health and prosperity. The New Year has kicked off with a flurry of activity. I’d like to highlight some of the recent news.
$2 million in federal funding: We expect to receive more than $2 million for county projects from the 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill. The funds are a response to the Federal Agenda and Priorities submitted jointly to Illinois Congressional representatives in March 2007 by my office and the County Board. Legislators were asked to help alleviate “the tremendous stress Will County’s growth has placed on local infrastructure –
both human and physical.” read more ... |
|
|
|
|
|
|