Transcending Challenges, Our Community Endures
Swearing-in ceremonies for the newly elected Village Clerk April Arellano, re-elected Trustees, John Johnson, Karen Special and Andy Ybarra and I were held on May 3.
We all wish to thank retiring Clerk, Roberta Johnson for all her service to our Village and our community. Though no longer on the Board, Roberta will be staying on for a while to help with the transition. She is a valuable asset to our staff.
We were fortunate to have Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke officiate at this ceremony. Justice Burke is not only one of the most highly respected jurists, but she has also spent a lifetime as an advocate for children and the disabled. She was a co-founder of the Special Olympics in 1968.
It has been a great honor to serve as Franklin Park’s Mayor. I am deeply humbled and gratified that I will be able to continue to serve the people and businesses of our Village. We have faced many challenges including the Great Recession and the global pandemic. We have surmounted those challenges through the teamwork and dedication of our dedicated staff. Our residents and business owners are caring, compassionate and community minded. They treat each other and our Village with respect. That is how we have succeeded and that is how we will continue to prosper in the future.
SWEET SUSTAINABILITY
As a component of our sustainability efforts, the Village has installed five beehives on the rooftop of the Water Department Garage. Bees are crucial to our ecosystem. Bees are responsible for the pollination of many fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Those summer treats of cherries and blueberries are 90% dependent on bee pollination, not to mention the honey that can be collected. The spring and summer flowers we enjoy would not be here without active healthy bee colonies. One bee colony can pollinate 300 million flowers a day.
Protecting bees becomes even more critical when we realize that 100 crop species provide 90% of food worldwide and of those crops, 71 species must be pollinated by bees. Without bees, our global food supply would be extinguished. Albert Einstein said that if the bees were to disappear, humanity would not survive longer than four years.
Using space such as rooftops to protect and harbor the bees will have great results. Bees travel within a two-mile radius pollinating trees, vegetables, flowers, and plants. The many benefits these bees bring will be spread throughout our Village neighborhoods. We are helping our Village and helping our planet.
Now that‘s sweet!
Mayor Barrett Pedersen