Voting Meeting: Safety Village IDPH Award, Bike Path to Bemis Proposal Reopened

The Western Springs Safety Village Committee was awarded the Ron W. Lee, M.D. Excellence in Pediatric Care award in the Community Service category at Monday night’s Board of Trustees meeting for their contributions to child safety.

The award is presented by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Illinois Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC.) The members of the board—Amy Satkamp Avakian, Lise Braithwaite, Melissa D’alise, Lee Rosenberg, Katie Sperry and Mandy Satkamp Wichman—were nominated for “life-saving impact” for their program, which teaches five- and six-year-old kids basic safety tactics and injury prevention.

“The individuals on this board have clearly gone above and beyond in ensuring the success of this endeavor,” said Mark Cichon, the representative presenting the award to the Safety Village. “Their community service is exemplary and it is obvious that they have devotion to supporting and advocating children.”

was founded in Hinsdale 29 years ago after 7-year-old Katie Satkamp (Avakian and Wichman’s sister) was killed in a bus accident. Five of the six current Board members (excluding Sperry) began the Western Springs summer program three years ago, and it has been a wild hit, already sold out this year.

“You can’t quantify how many lives that [Safety] Village saved because those children were never put in that position,” said Pat Kenny. “These young ladies said, “we can get this done,” and the community banded behind them to do that… You just don’t see that kind of spirit in many places to get behind it as quick as they did.”

Bike path along Wolf to Bemis?

Trustees passed a resolution to submit an application for funding to extend a bike path along Wolf Road north of Ogden Avenue, connecting to the Salt Creek bike bath that travels through Bemis Woods.

While most bikers agree that such a path is sorely needed, the project is complicated because the land lies outside of Village boundaries. Four agencies—the Village, the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Cook County Highway Department and the Cook County Forest Preserve District—would all have to work together for the concept to become reality.

A similar proposal was advanced a few years ago, said Village Director of Municipal Services Matt Supert, but stalled out because the Forest Preserve was unwilling to take responsibility for maintaining the path.

“There’s been an election cycle since we last communicated with the Forest Preserve District,” Supert said. “There’re some new people in place, so maybe we can get this process started again.”

The Village would absorb 20 percent of the cost of the path, which was estimated at $240,000 when it was previously proposed.

Timber Trails residents speak

Timber Trails residents Ed Fitzpatrick and John Nauman attended the meeting, with Fitzpatrick briefly addressing the Board, saying he wanted to “establish a voice” for the subdivision’s residents in the ongoing discussions over the southernmost land in the Village.

“We as residents have taken a relatively low profile hoping to give space for the process to develop,” Fitzpatrick said. “That low profile, however, should not in any way be interpreted as a lack of interest, and we hope to play a role as this process evolves.

“Any land development without defined commitment for an end use will be opposed. Likewise, any residential development that significantly changes the architecture or lessens the building quality will be opposed… We look forward to working with all parties to reestablish Timber Trails as the upscale development that it was intended to be.”

Ordinances passed

Several ordinances were passed at the meeting, including:

• Establishment of an agreement for the Illinois Office of the Comptroller to assume some of the Village’s local debt collection responsibility.
• Awarding of $38,130 to J & J Newell for 2012 sidewalk replacement and a sum not to exceed $20,000 to Safe Step for 2012 sidewalk shaving.
• Acceptance of the annual SEASPAR budget.
• Authorization of the disposal of two Ford Crown Victoria Western Spring spolice cars.