Plainfield News Briefs

Restaurant Week is back

Plainfield’s annual Restaurant Week will be held February 23-29. For a list of participating restaurants, visit plainfieldrestaurantweek.com. Be sure to check back frequently as the restaurants share their specials.

New Traffic Signal

The new traffic signal at the intersection of 143rd Street and Meadow Lane is scheduled to be turned on and operational on January 30. Message boards are located along 143rd Street alerting motorists of the upcoming change to the intersection, please use caution when driving through the area.

TRIAD Meeting

The Plainfield Senior TRIAD will meet on Monday, January 27, at 10:30 a.m., at American House Cedarlake, 14800 S. Van Dyke Road. For more information, please contact Officer Brett Keag at (815) 267-7207 or click here.

State of the Village

Mayor Collins recently presented the State of the Village Address during the Plainfield Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon this week. He highlighted the Boulevard development, new businesses, and capital projects.

Coffee with the Mayor

Everyone is invited to join Mayor Collins for coffee and conversation on Wednesday, February 12, at 9 a.m. at the Village Hall, 24401 W. Lockport Street. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the community. Make Sure Plainfield Counts The U.S. Census Bureau will be conducting the decennial census this year. It is important for residents to respond in order to ensure our area is accurately represented and receives its fair share of federal funding for social services, schools, and infrastructure. Watch your mail in March for more information on how to complete your Census form. Remember, your responses are confidential, secure, and protected. To learn more about the 2020 Census, click here. If you are interested in being a Census Taker, please apply online at 2020census.gov/jobs.

Interested in becoming an Election Judge?

The Will County Clerk’s Office is hiring judges for the March 17, 2020 General Primary and the November 3, 2020 General Election. To apply, visit the County Clerk’s web site or for more information contact the Clerk’s office at 815-740-4617.

Winter Weather Reminders

Follow the Village’s Public Works Department on Facebook (Plainfield, IL Public Works) and/or Twitter (@PlainfieldILPW) for the latest snowplowing updates. Click here for information on snowplowing procedures. If you have any questions regarding snow removal, please contact the Public Works Department at 815-436-3577. Thank you for your patience during the winter season. -The Police Department posts updates on winter storms, road conditions, and any major crashes on Facebook and Twitter. -For more information, the National Weather Service has important winter safety info on their web site. -Please keep fire hydrants clear of snow, it is important for the Fire and Water Departments to have easy access to all hydrants.

Office Closures

In 2020, the Village Offices will be closed on: February 17 (Presidents’ Day); May 25 (Memorial Day); July 3 (Independence Day observed); September 7 (Labor Day); November 11 (Veteran’s Day); November 26-27 (Thanksgiving); and December 24-25 (Christmas).

Refuse Collection Delays

Refuse collection will be delayed due to the following holidays:

Memorial Day (Monday, May 25, 2020) - Refuse collection will be one day late all week.

Independence Day (Saturday, July 4, 2020) – Refuse will be picked up on your regular collection day.

Labor Day (Monday, September 7, 2020) - Refuse collection will be one day late all week.

Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 26, 2020) – Refuse collection for Thursday routes will be delayed by one day.

Christmas (December 25, 2020) - Refuse will be picked up on your regular collection day.

Electric Aggregation Information

The Village is part of the Will Electric Aggregation Group which selected Constellation as its electric supplier in October 2018. The negotiated rate is $.07517/kWh and the contract runs through October 2021.

ComEd recently released their rates for the next 12 months. These rates will be lower than those provided by Constellation.

-Constellation rate: $0.07517/kWh.

-ComEd summer rate: $0.06725/kWh.

-ComEd non-summer price: $0.07216/kWh (estimated, may be adjusted slightly).

Residents are able to opt-out of the contract with Constellation, at anytime, with no penalty or fee, by contacting Constellation Energy at 1-844-252-4216 or online at http://www.constellation.com/il-willcounty. For more information on the municipal aggregation agreement, click here.

Calling All Homeowners Associations

If you are a member of a Homeowners Association Board (HOA) or a management company that represents a local HOA, please e-mail the Village your contact information (name, address, phone number, e-mail address, subdivision, and Board position). That way, we can provide information regarding work that is scheduled to occur in your subdivision.

AARP Income Tax Preparation

Thanks to the success of recent years, Troy Township will once again be a site for A.A.R.P. Income Tax return. Volunteers from Senior Services of Will County will assist seniors with the preparation of simple income tax returns which will be filed via e-filing only. Complicated tax returns should be taken to other tax professionals. Appointments will be available on Tuesdays beginning on February 4, 2020 and ending on April 14, 2020. Appointments will be available on a first come first serve bases starting Friday, January 24, 2020. Please call 815-744-1968 or 815-744-1963 to make your appointment or for more information.

Wills and Living Trusts

All Troy Township residence are invited to come to this free informational presentation to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of wills and living trusts, how to protect your assets and your privacy if you become incapacitated, why putting property in children’s names may be a mistake, and much more. This free presentation is full of valuable information and will be presented by: Elder Law Attorney, Jerome J. Goergen, P.C.

The presentation will be held on Thursday, February 20th at 6:00 pm at the Troy Township Community Center, 25448 Seil Rd. in Shorewood. Please register by Tuesday, February 18th by contacting Angela at 815-744-1963 or [email protected] Refreshments will be served.

Duckworth, Durbin to Amtrak CEO: Commit to making Amtrak affordable, accessible, and reliable for customers with disabilities

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Subcommittee on Transportation and Security, which has jurisdiction over Amtrak, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Representative Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL-4) wrote to Amtrak President and CEO Richard Anderson today after Amtrak mistakenly charged a group of wheelchair advocates $25,000 to travel from Chicago to Bloomington-Normal, IL, before ultimately backing down and apologizing. In the letter, the Members of Congress express their disappointment in Amtrak for its initial price quote, urge Amtrak to review and improve its disability and accessibility policies, create a new position on Amtrak’s Executive Leadership Team and work with Congress to establish a new seat on the Amtrak Board of Directors to be filled by a member of the disability community.

“We are deeply disappointed by Amtrak’s initial quote of $25,000 that was offered to a group of disability advocates – five of whom use wheelchairs – when seeking to purchase tickets and arrange for reasonable accommodations to travel aboard Amtrak’s Lincoln Service from the City of Chicago to Bloomington-Normal, Illinois,” wrote the Members of Congress. “The time has come for Amtrak to hold itself accountable for making intercity passenger rail readily accessible to all Americans.”

“Amtrak’s decision to shift accommodation costs onto disabled commuters undermined trust with loyal customers and damaged the Corporation’s brand. We support your decision to reconsider and end the existing policies and practices that led to the unlawful initial charge to these commuters,” the Members of Congress continued. “We hope that this unfortunate incident will serve as a turning point in the long-standing effort to make sure Amtrak customers with disabilities can travel as seamlessly as any other passenger on the national network.”

Duckworth issued a statement just over a week ago calling on Amtrak to apologize and requesting a meeting with Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson.

Student Nursing Association raises funds for Guardian Angel Community Services

The Student Nursing Association (SNA) in the Leach College of Nursing at the University of St. Francis (USF) held a t-shirt sale during the fall semester with proceeds benefiting Guardian Angel Community Services (GACS) in Joliet.

USF nursing students, theiparents and faculty members purchased a variety of items through the sale, including shirts, sweatpants, sweatshirts, hoodies, and hats that displayed the University of St. Francis logo. Proceeds from the sale, which totaled $252.37, were donated to GACS last month.

USF nursing student Angela Briseno said the reason SNA chose to donate to GACS was because of the important work the organization does in and for the community.

“We chose to raise funds for Guardian Angel Community Services because we strongly believe in their work. Guardian Angel’s mission is ‘to empower people to improve the quality of their lives.’ This is something that really caught our attention and we, as USF nursing students, could relate to it because we feel that USF is preparing us to do this for our patients now and after we graduate,” Briseno said.

USF nursing student Janet Crawford added that SNA sees this type of support as playing an important role within the community.

“Leach College of Nursing often finds ways to give back to our community and does so each semester through the Student Nurses Association. Supporting community organizations such as Guardian Angel Community Services is crucial because it helps to strengthen our community.”

Many individuals struggle to obtain fundamental needs or resources and by giving back, more resources and support may become available,” she said.

The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide, offering undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 50,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.