Village of Lansing Mayor Honored in First Women's Flight at the Nation's Capital |
Village of Lansing Mayor Patty Eidam took part in the first all-women veteran's honor flight to Washington, D.C. on October 7th. Mayor Eidam attended the event at the nation's capital in company with other women veterans who were recognized for their service.
In the 1960s, Mayor Eidam was a military intelligence analyst in the United States Army and later became the first full-time female police officer and paramedic in her hometown of Lansing.
Mayor Eidam was featured on NBC's Today Show along with other women veterans who attended the event. The attendees included 93 women who served in World War II, The Korean and Vietnam War, and Operation Desert Storm.
"Most of the females here today are hoping they can inspire a younger female, daughter, granddaughter, or niece and days like this just reinforce those feelings to keep working."
The trip was arranged by Operation Herstory which honors and highlights women veterans and their service in the United States Army. |
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Upcoming Meetings and Events
Little Calumet River Watershed Planning Council- Thursday October 21st at 4:30pm
SSMMA Business Meeting- Thursday, October 21st at 6:00pm
Stay tuned for news on our December 2nd Holiday Dinner Gala!
View Municipal and Local Job Openings on Our Website
Community members and residents can find job openings listed on SSMMA's website.
If you would like to us to post a job opening, please email information here.
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Illinois Municipal League Elects Hazel Crest Village President Vernard Alsberry as Vice President |
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President Vernard Alsberry of Hazel Crest was elected to serve a one-year term as the second Vice President of the Illinois Municipal League at the 108th Annual Conference on September 25th.
Alsberry has served on the IML Board of Directors since 2019, and on its Executive Committee since 2020. He has served as the Village of Hazel Crest Village President since 2013.
“I am excited and honored to take on this leadership role with the Illinois Municipal League. I look forward to working with my colleagues to strengthen the vibrancy and economic well-being of all communities across the state.
SSMMA would also like to recognize other south suburban mayors who serve as leaders with IML. Mayor Shelia Chalmers-Currin of Matteson was elected to the IML Board, and Mayor Rick Reinbold of Richton Park also serves on the Legislative Committee.
• Read the IML News Release here.
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As vaccination efforts across south suburban Cook continue, the percentage of vaccinated south suburban residents is progressing slowly. SSMMA's COVID Vaccine Tracker shows that the current regional vaccination rate is 46%, compared to 54% statewide.
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As of October 8th, the seven-day average positivity rate for the SSMMA region is 2.74%, versus 2.3% for Suburban Cook County.
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Find regional vaccination rates and vaccine clinics directly at ssmmacovid.org.
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State and Local COVID-19 Information |
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Community Vaccination Information |
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• Vaccination clinics in Blue Island, Ford Heights, and Robbins offer vaccinations Monday-Friday from 8:30am-4:00pm. No appointment is required.
• South Suburban College is now offering all three vaccinations along with testing. Learn more.
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Resources & Assistance
• Find a list of federal and DCEO grant opportunities here.
• ComEd is offering residents payment assistance options for their electric bills under the CARE program.
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October News from Our Community Partners |
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Trading Storm Water: MWRD's Pilot Project & Storm Store™ Support |
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• T-Mobile has partnered with Smart Growth America and Main Street America to invest in small towns and rural communities through the Hometown Grants program.
• Communities with 50,000 or fewer residents can apply for up to $50,000. The application is open on quarterly basis. |
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• The program will be funded into FY 2023 at the $7 million funding level.
• Applications must be submitted by October 15th.
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• If you have experienced financial hardship during the pandemic and need assistance to pay your rent and/or utility bills, you may be eligible for Cook County Emergency Rental Assistance.
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• Nicor is looking for partners to assist with their Energy Efficiency Program initiative to provide free smart thermostats to income-eligible customers.
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October Events in The Southland
• The Village of Monee will host Trunk or Treat on October 29th at the Village Hall. Contact The Village office for more information.
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SPC News
The NWMC fall auction will be held on Tuesday, October 19 at noon at America's Auto Auction, 14001 S. Karlov Avenue in Crestwood. Thank you to Evanston, Glenview, Homewood, Lincolnshire, and Wilmette for sending vehicles to the last live auction of the year as we encourage members to turn old inventory into revenue! America's AA offers a wide variety of convenient services to prep your vehicles and garners the highest possible price.
- Please note that vehicles and equipment can be listed for disposal at the NWMC auction right up to the morning of the auction day. Sell them now to get a fresh start and please keep in mind that a portion of the proceeds helps support the operations of the organization.
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If you can't make the October auction, America's Auto Auction hosts online sales on par with other government surplus Internet auctions. For questions or additional information, please contact Berry Ellis, berry.ellis@americasautoauction.com, or call 312-371-5993.
SPC 2022 Vehicle Forecast is Challenging
While we don't have a crystal ball, the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative (SPC) has been advised by our vehicle program vendors that the production of new vehicles is a major challenge for
automakers and may result in inventory shortages and higher prices. The widely reported chip shortage is just one of several supply-chain issues.
- Hurricane Ida destroyed hundreds of thousands of vehicles, rising steel prices (up 30.1% in the last 12 months) and other market pressures are likely to negatively affect vehicle production, availability, and costs. Automakers worldwide have been forced to curtail production due to the chip shortfall, with General Motors saying that it expects the situation to worsen this year before improving in 2022.
- In addition, Ford and GM plant closures will directly impact SPC vehicle offerings. As previously reported, General Motors has canceled the 2022 production of the Chevy Tahoe (SPC Contract #185) and Chevy Silverado (Contract #186).
- Ford will not produce the Transit Full Size Van (Contract #150) until at least summer, 2022. Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, shut down its Ram truck assembly plant and their small-SUV and minivan plants are also temporarily closed, affecting production of the Dodge Durango (Contract #201) and Dodge Ram 1500 SSV Crew Cab (Contract #202).
- It is likely that many vehicle contracts that normally would have been approved for routine contract extensions will need to be rebid. Staff will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as necessary.
Click here for the weekly Directors briefing.
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Have something you'd like included in our next newsletter? Email it to news@ssmma.org.
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