Activities for autumn are offered in Worth

By Joe Boyle

Worth officials welcomed autumn by reminding residents that a variety of activities will be taking place in the village beginning this week.

Village Clerk Bonnie Price said that Tag Days sponsored by the Knights of Columbus from Our Lady of the Ridge Parish in Chicago Ridge will take place on Friday, Sept. 23, and Saturday, Sept. 24. Volunteers will be collecting donations at the corner of 111th and Ridgeland.

Proceeds collected will go to assist individuals with mental and physical disabilities.

A free child safety seat event will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, at the Worth Village Hall, 7112 W. 111th St. More information can be obtained by calling Sgt. Travis Pirtle at 708-448-3979 or email tpirtle@villageofworth.com.

Raffles will be held for car seats. Police Chief Tim Denton also said during the Worth Village Board meeting Tuesday night that they will make sure the car seats are properly installed in the vehicles.

Mayor Mary Werner said that the Worth Lodge 143 Fraternal Order of Police will host the Chicago Comets beep baseball team. The seventh annual beep game exhibition game will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25, at Gale Moore Park, 109th and Nordica.

All proceeds will be donated to the Comets, who are the Chicago area’s only visually impaired beep baseball team. Donations can be made by contacting mcozzi@villageofworth.com.

The Worth Lions Club had donated $300 to the Comets Beep Baseball team.

The Worth Park District will hold its annual Fall Fest from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, at Gale Moore Park. The festival will include a hayride through the park, a pumpkin launcher and find the penny in the haystack.

Pony rides, jugglers, a face painter, a petting zoo, pizza, concessions and food trucks will be featured at the Fall Fest.

Live music will also be featured. A beer and wine garden will be at the Fall Fest for adults. Residents can watch Sunday football at the beer garden.

The Fall Fest Bags Tournament will be held at 3 p.m. that day at Gale Moore Park. The fee is $24 per team. Teams are encouraged to sign up early to get a spot. Cash prizes and drink specials will be offered. More information about the bags tournament can be obtained by calling 708-448-7080.

Werner filled in for Trustee Pete Kats, the head of the public safety committee who was not at the meeting. Werner said the police department made 19 arrests during August.

Trustee Brad Urban, who is the head of the public works committee, said that bacterial samples collected on Aug. 1 and 15 by the water department were found to be satisfactory, according to testing analysis performed by Enviro-Test/Perry Labs Inc.

Only one water main event took place last month on the 7200 block of 110th Place, Urban said.

“Which is good,” Urban said. “That is good news.”

Urban also said that five new fire hydrants were replaced in the village. Urban added that Gallagher Asphalt, which has been repaving and working on Harlem Avenue, has been contacted to clean up debris they left near the curbs along Harlem.

“Everyone thinks it is the village’s responsibility cleaning up the debris,” Urban said. “But (Gallagher) will take care of it.”

An ordinance approving a cable franchise agreement with Comcast was approved by the board. Comcast has been the longtime cable provider for Worth.

Kelly Zabinski, of Zabinski Consulting Services, was reappointed to handle financial services for the village. Zabinski is the finance director for Worth.

Trustee Rich Dziedzic applauded the Marrs-Meyer American Legion 991, which held a 9-11 Remembrance Day ceremony at the Eternal Flame Monument. A 9-11 ceremony was held the following night during the Worth Car Cruiser Night at the Water’s Edge parking lot.

Trustee Laura Packwood, who is the head of the golf committee, said that August was a profitable month at the Water’s Edge Golf Course. Overall profits exceeded $252,000 in August, Packwood said.

Gaming revenue for last month was also a major plus.

“The golf course has been doing very well,” Packwood said. “But the weather has been awesome.”

A business license was tentatively granted for JSM Land, 10722, 10724 and 10726 S. Harlem Ave. Owner Amani Rabi was reminded that he currently cannot sell tobacco products at his grocery store. Rabi will also offer catering.