MM_050417

8 | May 4, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger NEWS
mokenamessenger.com
Mokena Village Board
Officials express gratitude to retiring Village engineer
Pearson responsible
for significant
changes since 1997
Jon DePaolis
Freelance Reporter
The Village of Mokena
Board of Trustees bid farewell
April 24 to longtime
Village Engineer Paul Pearson,
who retired Friday,
April 28, after 20 years with
the Village.
After Village Clerk Patricia
Patt read a proclamation
on behalf of Mayor Frank
Fleischer listing Pearson’s
many contributions and accomplishments
with the
Village, staff members and
trustees shared their appreciation
of Pearson.
Director of Economic and
Community Development
Alan Zordan said the village’s
population was around
10,000 when Pearson was
hired in 1997. Now, the population
is closer to 20,000.
“The miles of public
streets have at least doubled,”
Zordan said. “In
1997, we only had two water
towers. Now, we have
four.”
He also said Pearson was
instrumental in Mokena
moving from well water to
Lake Michigan water.
Zordan also credited
Pearson for the Front Street
streetscape project, for
which Mokena was awarded
Project of the Year from the
American Public Works Association,
Chicago Metropolitan
Chapter, Southwest
Branch, in 2002.
Some of the other road
projects Pearson oversaw included:
the widening of 191st
Street, from 80th Avenue to
Wolf Road; and the additional
lanes on Route 30.
Pearson also helped Mokena
be designated as a
quiet zone for the Metra
line, and he coordinated the
Mokena Mayors Charitable
Golf Outing the last three
years.
Public Works Director
Lou Tiberi also shared some
personal and professional
memories of Pearson.
“In Paul’s professional career,
he was involved in almost
all aspects of the public
works programs and projects,”
Tiberi said.
Village Administrator John
Tomasoski thanked Pearson
for his contributions to
Mokena, and he shared with
Pearson a letter from former
Village Administrator John
Downs, who extended his
congratulations to Pearson.
The Village Board members
also were effusive in
their praise of Pearson.
Trustee John Mazzorana
was part of the Village Board
that hired Pearson in 1997,
along with Trustee Joseph
Siwinski and then-Trustee
Frank Fleischer.
“I think that decision was
a wise one then, and 20
years later, it still is a wise
decision,” Mazzorana said.
“Paul, you’ve done a good
job for the Village. I have
always said that part of [the]
strength of our Village is our
staff. We have had some of
the best employees that I’ve
ever been associated with
— all long-term employees,
who have devoted themselves
to [Mokena].”
Siwinski said Pearson always
treated Mokena residents
with respect.
“Many years ago, we used
to sit up here and had people
come up with pictures of
them floating in their streets
in boats,” Siwinski joked. “It
was rather uncomfortable
to be up here. Magically,
since you came on staff, we
haven’t had that.”
Trustee George Metanias
has been trustee since 2005.
He said over that time he has
gotten to know Pearson both
professionally and personally.
“I tell you what, you rise
above in both,” Metanias
said. “You are a good person,
and you care about the
community. Being here 20
years, you actually helped
shape this village. You had
a big hand in doing that and
shaping it well. For that,
thank you very much.”
Mayor Frank Fleischer
also pointed to some of Pearson’s
successes and the impact
he had.
“I remember dealing with
engineers and not having an
in-house engineer and sending
stuff out and getting it
sent back a week later; back
and forth and back and forth,”
Fleischer said. “No wonder it
took two years sometimes to
OK a subdivision.
“When you came onboard,
you took care of that. When
I came back four years ago,
I couldn’t believe how far
we had advanced. You made
things easier.”
Fleischer also mentioned
a conversation he had with
Pearson earlier in the day,
which told him all he needed
to know about the longtime
Village employee.
“You’re done, basically,
but you told me on Friday afternoon
you’re still going to
meet with IDOT,” Fleischer
said. “The commitment you
have to this Village, I appreciate
that very much.”
Pearson was presented
with two plaques from
Fleischer at the meeting.
“I feel so fortunate to have
been chosen as Mokena’s
first Village engineer,” Pearson
said. “I still remember
the day. [I was with] Trustee
[John] Mazzorana, Mayor
[Robert] Chiszar and John
Downs, and we were in the
mayor’s office. That was my
final interview, and I was on
edge the whole time … and
luckily, I got the job.
“It’s amazing what can be
accomplished in 20 years.
There were a lot of accolades
thrown my way, but by
no means was that done by
me. It’s done by [the staff]
seated at this table. This is
a team. It’s always been a
team, and I’m going to miss
that more than anything.
“I couldn’t be more proud
of what we’ve done in the
Village of Mokena over the
last 20 years.”
County officials push for education, collaboration to curb opioid epidemic
Megann Horstead
Freelance Reporter
Officials said education,
training and tough enforcement
on drug dealers will be
key to combatting a drug epidemic
that killed nearly 100
people in Will County last
year.
The Edward Hospital Athletic
& Events Center in Romeoville
was packed April
21 as people gathered for
the sixth annual Hero-Helps
Southwest Coalition Community
Summit.
The event was again hosted
by the Village of Romeoville
and featured a resource
expo on services and programs
addressing the heroin
and opioid epidemic. There
were more than 30 tables set
up in the building, including
those for United Way of Will
County, Trinity Services and
Southwest Coalition for Substance
Abuse Issues.
Among some of the topics
addressed during the summit
included new legislature in
the works, grant opportunities
and initiatives aimed at
working toward a solution
to the heroin and opioid epidemic
in the suburbs.
Will County Executive
Larry Walsh credited the
community for its efforts to
come together with one mission
in mind: to reduce overdose
deaths and save lives.
To reverse the effects of the
heroin and opioid epidemic,
Will County has implemented
a number of measures to
educate, support and bring
awareness to the issue. From
annual events and partnerships
to grants and training,
the community is working
across municipal and county
lines to make a difference.
Will County hired Dr.
Kathleen Burke a few years
ago as its new director of
substance abuse initiatives.
Under her leadership, efforts
have been employed to
establish a pilot Safe Passage
program with the Mokena,
Lockport and Lemont police
departments. Through this
initiative, a person suffering
from any type of opioid addiction
is encouraged to come
into a participating police
department and ask for assistance.
They will be connected
with and escorted by a volunteer
to a treatment facility.
“Our goal is to offer this
program to other departments
in the County,” Walsh
said.
Will County State’s Attorney
Jim Glasgow is currently
working with State Rep.
Natalie Manley (D-Joliet) to
pass statewide legislation for
a turn-in program that extends
protections and treatment
to heroin addicts.
Glasgow said he encouraged
collaboration statewide
to move closer to eradicating
the problem. He said heroin
knows no bounds.
“Any of us can turn into a
zombie if ... someone injected
us with heroin,” Glasgow
said. “We’ve got to look at
this in a whole different way.”
Glasgow said law enforcement
officials don’t want to
raise penalties for drug offenses
and said the community
must know that heroin
dealers are still being caught.
“Heroin dealers have got
to be on notice,” he said.
“You’re selling poison, and
we’re going after drug-induced
homicides as aggressively
as we possibly can.
We want the drug dealers
to know in addition to the
dealing charge, you’re going
to get a consecutive charge
for killing the person you’re
dealing the drug to.”
In 2016, a reported 96 people
died of heroin, fentanyl
and opioid overdoses in Will
County, the highest number
of overdose deaths ever.
One of the challenges
faced in Will County is in
educating the public on what
services and programs are
available.
Burke said the County
will be working to fill the
Please see HEROHELPS, 15