AVENUE - Village of Matteson

ATTESON
AVENUE
FALL 2014
VILLAGE
DIRECTORY
EMERGENCY 911
Village Hall
708.283.4900
President
708.283.4911
Village Clerk
708.283.4950
Village Administrator
708.283.4911
Community Affairs
708.283.4777
Community Development
708.283.4940
Economic Development
708.283.4779
Human Resources
708.283.4949
Recreational Services
708.441.4500
Public Works
708.748.1411
Water Billing
708.283.4790
GOVERNING
BOARD
Andrè B. Ashmore
Village President
Dorothy Grisco
Village Clerk
Trustees
Sam Brown
Shelia Chalmers-Currin
Veloid Cotton
Bridget A. Dancy
Paula Farr
Kevin Little
MESSAGE FROM THE VILLAGE PRESIDENT
Greetings to all of our
residents and businesses in
Matteson. I hope you all had
an enjoyable summer. It was a
pleasant summer despite the
storm that came through and
caused the falling of many of
our trees. I want to commend
our Department of Public
Works for their diligence in the
clean-up efforts. I also want to
thank the Villages of Glenwood
and Richton Park for sending
personnel and equipment
to assist us in this massive
effort. I also want to thank our
residents for your patience
and understanding as we
went through this clean-up
effort and especially those of
you that pitched in to help as
well. Ours is a very strong and
unified community and it really
shows during times such as
these. Thank You!!
I want to wish outgoing
Fire Chief Edward Leeson
well wishes as he moves
into retirement after 23 years
of service to the Village of
Matteson. We appreciate Ed’s
dedication and professionalism
and his excellent ability to
interact with others, and he
will be missed. Deputy Chief
Christopher Schwalbe was
installed as Fire Chief on
August 18, 2014. Chris has
many years of experience with
the Matteson Fire Department
Save the
date!
and I have full confidence that
he will lead it with excellence.
Congratulations to Ed and
Chris!!
The children are back in
school so please watch out
for the school buses and
remember that it is illegal to
pass a stopped school bus
when its red lights are flashing.
We want to keep everyone
safe, so please be cognizant
of this as you drive through the
community.
We will have more news
for you in the next issue on
Lincoln Mall. We are evaluating
the results of the ‘Requests
for Proposals” that went out
during the summer and our
expectation is to have a new
developer in place to take
over the mall by the end of
the year. In the meantime,
we want to celebrate the new
developments at the NW
corner of Lincoln Hwy and
Cicero Ave.
We are excited that in spite
of the continued after effects of
the great recession, Matteson
is still seeing interest from
developers that is resulting
in continued development.
Martin Luther King, Jr. said that
“either we work together as
brothers or will perish together
as fools.” Let’s continue to
remain a united community
as we battle these economic
9th Annual Taste of Matteson & Unity Day
Friday, September 26, 5:30-8pm
Holiday Inn Matteson
An evening of great food,
fun & classic sounds!
See pages 2 & 3 for details
development challenges; there
is strength in numbers, and
by working together, there is
nothing we cannot accomplish.
I truly appreciate serving as
your Village President and do
not take this job lightly. We all
love this community and we
all have a vested interest in
making sure it is successful.
We hope you are enjoying
the new on-line version of the
Matteson Avenue and please
feel free to contact us should
you need anything.
On behalf of myself and
the Ashmore Family, we wish
you GODSPEED until we meet
again.
Andrè B. Ashmore
Village President
Village of Matteson
Matteson’s Got Talent
Saturday, September 20, 12pm
Matteson Community Center
The search for Matteson’s biggest star!
See page 4 for details
continued on page 2
VILLAGE HALL HOURS: Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. • Wed. 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
VISIT WWW.VILLAGEOFMATTESON.ORG FOR MORE VILLAGE NEWS AND EVENTS.
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/thevillageofmatteson Follow us on Twitter @Matteson1855
COMMUNITY NEWS
9TH ANNUAL TASTE OF MATTESON & UNITY DAY
CELEBRATION TO BE HELD SEPTEMBER 26TH
The celebration will be held
on Friday, September 26th,
2014 from 5:30pm-8pm at the
Holiday Inn Matteson and will
also include a silent auction,
door prizes, live music and a
cash bar.
After many residents and
visitors left last year’s event
claiming it to be the best one to
date, the committee takes on the
The Taste of Matteson and
Unity Day celebrates the
diversity of our community. It
provides an opportunity for
residents to interact and learn
more about culture sharing by
bringing people of different
backgrounds together, while
enjoying samples of various
cuisines from restaurants in the
area.
REGISTER TO RECEIVE
ALERTS
The Village of Matteson
utilizes the CodeRED
emergency notification system
and would like to make sure
our residents are aware of this
useful communication tool.
CodeRED is an extremely
high speed telephone
communication service that
can deliver customized
pre-recorded emergency
messages directly to homes,
businesses and cellular phones
via voice, email and text. The
service is free to residents and
businesses within the Village of
Matteson.
CodeRED will be used for
critical situations and events
where the timely notification
of an affected population
or geographic area is
important. This system will
be used for emergency and
non-emergency purposes.
Examples of emergencies
range from utility outages to
natural disasters including
floods or fires. Telephone
contact will not be made for
non-emergency situations, only
text and E-mail messages will
be sent in those circumstances.
If you are not currently
receiving CodeRED
notifications, please enroll by
visiting www.villageofmatteson.
org and clicking the red
“CodeRED” tab at the top of
the page. From there, click
“Community Notification
Enrollment” and complete the
form.
challenge of organizing another
successful Taste of Matteson.
Tickets are $10 and available
in advance only (no tickets
will be sold at the door for
this event). Tickets can be
purchased at the Village Hall
and only a limited supply are
available. Come out and enjoy
an evening of great food, fun
and entertainment!
MATTESON YOUTH
BASEBALL TEAM
WINS 1ST PLACE
Coached by Ken Harris, the
2014 Matteson Elite baseball
team finished the season with
a perfect 25-0 record in the
Pony Division (ages 13-14),
winning both the Greater
South Suburban Baseball
League (GSSBL) regular and
post season championships.
Matteson Elite defeated the
Richton Park Nationals for
both the regular and post
season championships, with
teams from Chicago Heights,
Country Club Hills, Park Forest,
Richton Park and University
Park also competing in the
league. On behalf of the Village
of Matteson we would like to
congratulate the 2014 Matteson
Elite on an exceptional season.
2014 PUBLIC SAFETY AWARDS
The Village is very proud to announce
that two of our police officers and one of
our civilians were honored by the Matteson
Rotary Club as recipients of the 2014 Public
Safety Award.
Mia Carter was awarded for her
community policing and fund raising efforts
through 2014. She is an obvious asset to
not only our police department, but also our
Village and residents.
Ofc. Justin Ramel was awarded for his
exemplary police work this past year. His
qualities of enforcement, volunteering and
representing the police department did not
go unnoticed by the Matteson Rotary Club.
Sgt. Tom Johnson won the top Public
2
MATTESON AVENUE . FALL 2014
Safety award for his commitment to
the Police Department, our Village and
residents. As leader of the Tactical Division,
he oversaw a multitude of arrests for
narcotics, prostitution and financial identity
theft. He has a relentless work ethic.
Furthermore, as supervisor of the South
Suburban Emergency Response Team,
he is on-scene for every major in-progress
high intensity police incident throughout the
South Suburban Chicagoland area, and
he represents the Village of Matteson very
well.
We are sincerely proud of these
individuals and we ask that you help in
congratulating them!
Save the date!
continued from page 1
Annual Pork Chop & Chicken
Dinner with Silent Auction
and Raffles
Saturday, October 18 | 5pm
Old St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
Proceeds will go towards repair
and restoration of the Historical
Society’s old church steeple.
Doors open at 5pm. Dinner
served at 6pm. Cost is $20
for adults and $10 for children
under 12. Carry out option
available.
Matteson Community Center
Events at a Glance
Member Appreciation Day
September 13 | 10am - 3pm
Family Splashtastic
Pool Movie Night
October 17 | 7pm - 9pm
14th Annual Fall
Family Fun Fest
October 25 | 1pm - 4pm
4th Annual Breakfast
with Santa
December 13 | 9am - 11am
Family Splashtastic
Pool Movie Night
December 19 | 7pm - 9pm
COMMUNITY NEWS
CHIEF LEESON RETIRES AFTER ADULT BASKETBALL LEAGUES AT THE MCC
23 YEARS OF SERVICE
A MESSAGE FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT:
On Friday, August 1, 2014,
we said goodbye to our Fire
Chief Ed Leeson, who after 23
years of service has decided to
retire. Ed began his service to
the Village of Matteson in 1991
and has served with distinction
at every rank up to the highest
one in the department.
In addition to being the
longtime training officer on
the department, Ed taught
Introduction to the Fire Service
to those interested in the fire
service at Prairie State College.
Truly a “Jack of all trades,” Ed
was a CPR instructor, infant car
seat installer, and was on the
regional Critical Incident Stress
Debriefing team. Certainly a
privilege to work for, Ed will
surely be missed.
Come out and show your
skills against some of the
finest basketball players in the
Southland.
The Matteson Community
Center will host both men’s and
women’s basketball leagues
this fall. Adult basketball
players 18 years and older will
play in a fun and competitive
environment consisting of 6
regular season games and a
playoff tournament! There is
a maximum of 12 players to a
roster (I.D. is required at the
door) and all participants will
receive a league t-shirt. Team
captain’s contact information
and rosters are due one week
prior to the start of league
play. Games will be played
from October 6-November 24
between the times of 6pm and
10pm on Monday nights. Men’s
games take place on Court A,
and women’s games on Court
B. The fee is $350 per team
and there is a limit of 8 teams
for each league.
*Spectator fee may apply.
INFORMATION HOTLINE
Chief Ed Leeson receives a token
of appreciation for his 23 years
of leadership and service to the
Village of Matteson from Union
President FF/PM Scott Gilliam.
The Village of Matteson’s Community Affairs Department recently
established an Information Hotline. Here, residents can call in for
emergency information, weather and storm-related updates and
other significant Matteson public safety news. Important updates will
continue to be made available via our website and social media as
well. The Information Hotline number is (708) 283-4786.
FALL 2014 . MATTESON AVENUE
3
COMMUNITY NEWS
MAHLER’S CELEBRATES 100 YEARS OF SERVICE
On Saturday, June 14,
2014 a celebration took place
to commemorate Mahler’s
Service’s 100th year in
business.
Mahler’s Service is the oldest
family owned and operated
business in Matteson, as
three generations of Mahler
men have run the garage
since it was founded in 1914.
Early in Matteson’s history,
as transportation increased
along the Lincoln Highway,
so did the need for roadside
assistance and automobile
4
repair. The family business was
there to meet the needs of the
increasingly mobile public, an
essential element in the growth
of Matteson.
Owner Tim Mahler takes
pride in running the family
business and continuing
to service the community a
century after Mahler’s first
opened its doors to the public.
“I’m proud to be a 3rd
generation owner,” he said. “I
enjoy the daily challenges that
business brings, visiting and
talking with customers, and
taking care of customers as
they come in.”
Throughout the years,
Mahler’s has received a Historic
Landmark Plaque from the
Matteson Historical Society in
1998 and an Illinois Lincoln
Highway Interpretive Mural in
2012, which is displayed on
MATTESON AVENUE . FALL 2014
the side of their
building.
At the
celebration,
the Matteson
Historical
Society presented Mahler’s
Service with a congratulatory
banner and a book detailing
the history of the business and
family throughout the century.
The book is a collection of
articles, photographs, family
history, and letters from people
in the community who grew up
in Matteson and their memories
of Mahler’s.
“It has been a thrill to work
with the Mahlers,” explained
Lois Blume, president of the
Matteson Historical Society.
“It has been enjoyable and
an honor to work with them to
update the history of Mahler’s
Service,”
Mahler was very pleased with
what the Matteson Historical
Society was able to put
together.
“The Historical Society
did a wonderful job,” Mahler
said. “It’s at the garage on
display. People look at it and
compliment how great it is and
how wonderful of a job they
did.”
Booklets detailing Mahler’s
Service’s history and other
historical items related to
Mahler’s are at the Matteson
Historical Society (813 School
Avenue).
Mahler’s Service is located at
3627 W. 216th St.
DEPARTMENT NEWS
CHIEF MICHAEL JONES SWORN IN
On June 9, 2014, President
Andrè B. Ashmore and the
Board of Trustees appointed
then Interim Police Chief
Michael Jones to the position of
Chief of Police.
Michael Jones was sworn
in as a police officer in 1997,
beginning his career with
the Richton Park Police
Department. He shifted to
the Village of Matteson Police
Department on January 4,
1999. Throughout his career,
Jones has worked his way
through the ranks as a
detective assigned to a major
crimes task force, bicycle
officer, range officer, field
training officer, patrol officer,
patrol sergeant, detective
sergeant, deputy chief, interim
chief and now chief.
Jones, who has been married
for 10 years and is a father
of two daughters, explained
what transitioning into this next
phase of his career means to
him and his family.
“Being the Chief of Police
has offered me an opportunity
to create a positive atmosphere
in the Matteson Police
Department, as well as the
Village of Matteson,” he said.
“I am lucky to have a family
that has always supported
me, even when my job kept
me away from my family on
nights, weekends and holidays.
I know that my family is proud
of me, and that support has
enabled me to be devoted to
my career.”
Jones went on to describe
the rewarding aspects of his 17
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“I always find joy in
successfully and safely
accomplishing tasks or
overcoming challenges,” he
said. “But when a resident
reaches out to the police
department offering thanks for
being able to rely on a police
officer when they were in need,
I am really rewarded.”
Throughout his 15 years
with the Matteson Police
Department, Jones has served
the residents of Matteson
professionally and honorably.
His plans are to continue to do
so, while looking to achieve
certain goals within his new
role.
“I hope to foster a positive
and productive working
environment for our police
officers, so that they are best
enabled to actively enforce
laws, keep people safe and
maintain a high quality of
life for our residents,” Jones
explained. I hope to increase
communication throughout the
police department, and also
throughout our community. I
look forward to strengthening
the partnership with the
community. I want our residents
to take an active role in helping
the police department in
keeping our village safe and
secure.”
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Help recruit new retail to
Matteson!
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The Village of Matteson has re-launched the successful Letter Writing Campaign!
We need your continued efforts to make a
positive difference in our community.
To participate, simply scan the QR Code with your smart phone or visit the website at
www.villageofmatteson.org to electronically submit a pre-written letter. Your voice counts!
There’s No Place Like Matteson!
Dear Sir or Madam:
I am a resident or a nearby resident of the Village of Matteson. I patronize ______________________
in other communities, and would like for you to consider bringing your business to Matteson.
Judging by the long lines at our current retailers, there is a great need for more choices. Our trade
area is a large retail community in the south suburbs of Chicago, attracting shoppers from neighboring communities such as Homewood, Tinley Park, Olympia Fields, Richton Park, Frankfort, Park
Forest and Flossmoor.
Matteson Area at a Glance
Total Population
Matteson 19,009
5-mile radius 155,151
7-mile radius 279,562
The trade area has a population of 279,562, providing you an excellent opportunity to increase profitability and create a greater presence in our community. Over 19 million dollars in municipal sales
tax are generated within 7 miles of Matteson.
Median Age
39.5
Matteson currently has more than 300 businesses, and is situated in the heart of two major intersections along with four major interstate highways: I-57, I-294, I-355 and I-80/94. The daily traffic
count draws more than 200,000 vehicles per day, which gives us prime positioning to attract shoppers from many surrounding areas.
Total Households
Matteson 6,794
5-mile radius 56,407
7-mile radius 101,708
I sincerely hope you will find our area a desirable location!
Average Household Size
2.7
Sincerely,
____________________________________
Sign your name here
_____________________________________
Address
Average Household Income
Matteson $76,236
_____________________________________
Email Address
Median Household Income
$63,923
Return to the Village Hall at 4900 Village Commons. To submit electronically visit www.villageofmatteson.org or scan the QR code.
6
MATTESON AVENUE . FALL 2014
ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT NEWS
WELCOME NEW MATTESON BUSINESSES
The Village would like to extend a huge welcome to three
new businesses located at the intersection of Lincoln Highway
& Cicero Avenue. Sleepy’s: The Mattress Professionals,
T-Mobile and Starbucks Coffee (with a drive thru) are now
open! The old Starbucks location at Rose Plaza is now
closed. The highly anticipated Giordano’s Pizza will likely
open sometime before the end of this year.
The Village would also like to welcome Vetavia’s Cajun
Café and Bar (4455 W. Lincoln Highway) to the community!
Vetavia’s is a new café and bar with an elegant setting that
specializes in Cajun/Creole, seafood, soul food, and southern
dishes.
BOCCE’S REMODEL UPDATE
After undergoing a grand remodel that began in mid-June,
Bocce’s Bar & Grill reopened its doors to the public on August
4, 2014. Bocce’s underwent a major transformation including
but not limited to new floors, tables, chairs and barstools.
“It’s the same Bocce’s feel, just a new look,” explained
owner Tina Bertsos.
A grand reopening celebration will take place in midSeptember to celebrate 25 years in business, and 10 years
under the ownership of the Bertsos family. Details will be
posted outside of Bocce’s as the date approaches.
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Matteson, IL
60443
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Matteson Avenue is circulated to all residents and businesses in the Village of Matteson, Illinois.
Comments or questions can be directed to: Matteson Avenue Editorial Staff - 4900 Village Commons, Matteson, IL 60443
To place an advertisement in Matteson Avenue, please contact: Christine Reiser at 708.891.0744, Christine.Reiser@nwi.com I Lee Publications, Inc.
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