The festival opened with the presentation of the colors by Bloom Township Navy JROTC and rousing performances by the 206 Band and Choir. Mayor Gonzalez welcomed the crowd, as well as a host of officials and festival guests including:  Illinois State Representative Anthony Deluca,   2nd Ward Alderman Sonia Perez,  3rd  Ward Alderman Wanda Rodgers, 6th Ward Alderman Vincent Zaranti, 1st Ward Park District Commissioner Belinda Mosby, 6th Ward Park District Commissioner Curtis Straczek, 7th Ward Park District Commissioner Rudolfo Zuniga, SD 206 Superintendent Dr. Lenell Navarre with members of SD 206 school board,  and SD 170 Principal Chris Baikauskas.

This year, the contest featured a People’s Choice Award and an overall Chili Contest Winner.  The overall taste award was chosen by an independent panel of judges comprised of gracious volunteers from the Chicago Heights Knights of Columbus, the Lions Club and a local resident. The Chicago Heights Police Department was voted the overall Chili Contest Winner for the 2nd year in a row, receiving the 1st Place trophy, with the People’s Choice Award being garnered by the Chicago Heights Fire Department.

The contest raised over $1200 in support of the charities chosen by the departments. At the end of the day, the departments were all winners as proceeds from the event were donated to the first responder’s charities of choice, along with a contribution to each department’s charity from Mayor Gonzalez. Special thanks to the Chicago Heights Fire & Police Departments and the South Chicago Heights Fire & Police Departments for their support and participation! 

Thank you to Carmen Sendejas, chair for the 7th Annual Festival of Sister Cities, and to all of the staff and volunteers who made this another successful community celebration honoring our Sister Cities and Chicago Heights.  

Mayor Gonzalez Celebrates Manufacturing Day with SD 206

On October 2, 2018, Mayor David A. Gonzalez was the keynote speaker for Bloom’s celebration of National Manufacturing Day. During his remarks, Mayor Gonzalez encouraged students to embrace the opportunities available to them to explore careers in the manufacturing field.
“As a student in this new decade of manufacturing, you need to take advantage of the tools you have in front of you through your education to learn and train to succeed in a manufacturing career. Chicago Heights is poised for this emerging decade of new manufacturing. This is who we are: we create, we innovate, we build. We do it together. And as a student in this new decade, you have the tools in front of you through education to take advantage of these opportunities to learn and train to succeed in manufacturing careers.”
Students also heard from local manufacturers, participated in local industry tours and visited Prairie State College Technology Center to learn about educational opportunities in the manufacturing field.

Openlands Tree Planting Event

This past weekend a great conservation project got off the ground through an award of a grant to the city by the nonprofit nature conservation group Openlands. Michael Dugan, Director of Forestry, and his team from Openlands provided fifteen trees for planting in the parkways near Lincoln Gavin School. Michael started the volunteers off by sharing his expertise on the tree species and gave a great overview on the long-term benefits achieved by planting. The Openlands team provided the materials and equipment to dig and wielded shovels along with an enthusiastic group of volunteers that included city staff, Lincoln Gavin Principal Cara Pastere, representatives from HACC and Payne Chapel AME Church, and the Resident Ambassador groups representing the Choice Neighborhoods East Side/Downtown neighborhoods. The Mayor’s Office of Special Events joined in to make sure refreshments were on hand to energize the planting crews as the holes were dug and the fifteen trees were planted!  

Supplemental Leaf Pick-up Program Begins October 22nd!

Urgent Care Resources

ABC-7 Morning News Visits Chicago Heights 

Over the past few weeks, the high schools in Chicago Heights have each been featured on ABC-7! Every fall, ABC visits a different Chicagoland high school early Friday mornings during football season and incorporates the school and surrounding community into their morning news broadcast. 

To view the broadcasts, click the links below.

To view the Bloom SD 206 Flyover broadcast click here. 

To view the Marian Catholic High School Flyover broadcast click here. 

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