Federal Disaster Aid Available To State Of Illinois
Federal aid will supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, and flooding during the period of April 16th to May 5th, 2013. Assistance for Affected Individuals and Families Can Include as Required:
- Rental payments for temporary housing for those whose homes are unlivable. Initial assistance may be provided for up to three months for homeowners and at least one month for renters. Assistance may be extended if requested after the initial period based on a review of individual applicant requirements. (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)
- Grants for home repairs and replacement of essential household items not covered by insurance to make damaged dwellings safe, sanitary and functional. (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)
- Grants to replace personal property and help meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other federal, state and charitable aid programs. (Source: FEMA funded at 75 percent of total eligible costs; 25 percent funded by the state.)
- Unemployment payments up to 26 weeks for workers who temporarily lost jobs because of the disaster and who do not qualify for state benefits, such as self-employed individuals. (Source: FEMA funded; state administered.)
- Low-interest loans to cover residential losses not fully compensated by insurance. Loans available up to $200,000 for primary residence; $40,000 for personal property, including renter losses. Loans available up to $2 million for business property losses not fully compensated by insurance. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)
- Loans up to $2 million for small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes that have suffered disaster-related cash flow problems and need funds for working capital to recover from the disaster's adverse economic impact. This loan in combination with a property loss loan cannot exceed a total of $2 million. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)
- Loans up to $500,000 for farmers, ranchers and aquaculture operators to cover production and property losses, excluding primary residence. (Source: Farm Service Agency, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.)
- Other relief programs: Crisis counseling for those traumatized by the disaster; income tax assistance for filing casualty losses; advisory assistance for legal, veterans benefits and social security matters.
How to Apply for Assistance:
Affected residents and business owners can begin the disaster application process by registering online at
www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by web enabled mobile device at
m.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers are available from 7:00am to 10:00pm (local time) Monday through Sunday until further notice. Applicants registering for aid should be prepared to provide basic information about themselves (name, permanent address, phone number), insurance coverage and any other information to help substantiate losses.
Flood Relief Resources
Residents and business owners impacted by the recent flooding can find useful information regarding assistance in our area from the following organizations:
Red Cross Cleanup Kits: (877) 597-0747
Contact Map for Local Red Cross and County EMA offices
State of Illinois Updates and Links
Federal Links
Railroad Daze Needs Volunteers!
Volunteers are needed to help with activities at Franklin Park’s annual Railroad Daze Festival scheduled for June 6th – 9th. Volunteers are needed to help on Saturday, June 8th. It’s a great way to meet new friends and catch up with our neighbors!
All volunteers will receive a free Railroad Daze t-shirt
and other fun giveaways!
For more information on volunteering or to sign up, please call (847) 671-4800 and ask for Denise.
Railroad Daze Festival June 6th - 9th
This year we will again pay tribute to our railroad heritage with our annual fun-filled family tradition! Mark your calendars and please plan to attend Railroad Daze on June 6th - 9th at the B-12 Tower, located at Franklin Avenue and Calwagner Street.
As always, admission is FREE! We will again be featuring the very best in live entertainment on Friday and Saturday, a beer and wine garden, and a wide variety of local food vendors. On Saturday, June 8th from 10:00am to 3:00pm over a dozen trains will be on display and you will have the opportunity to walk-on and view the inside of the trains as well. This is a unique, one of a kind opportunity for the area and there is no cost to participate. The carnival will be open daily with unlimited ride specials featured.
Seating is available at all major attractions and areas of Railroad Daze, but you are also encouraged to bring lawn chairs or folding chairs. During Railroad Daze, visitors are welcome to park at any legal parking space in a lot or on the street anywhere in the Village. Parking for the disabled is available at the Franklin Park Post Office located at 9760 Franklin Avenue.
Utility Line Protection Program
Did you know that homeowners are responsible for the sewer lines that go from a home to the point of utility connection? As such, homeowners are also responsible for the cost to repair these lines if they break or leak and the repairs can often be very expensive.
The Village is offering an optional program to homeowners for low cost, worry-free warranty protection for sewer lines. The program is provided through the National League of Cities (NLC) and administered by Service Line Warranties of America (SLWA). The program provides an affordable way to avoid the unexpected and often large expense involved with a sewer line break. SLWA is a reputable company and is recognized by the Better Business Bureau.
For more information or to enroll, please call 866-922-9006 or visit
www.slwofa.com
How To Report Excessive Train Horn Sounding
Excessive train horn sounding has become such an important issue for our Village that Mayor Pedersen recently traveled to Washington DC to speak personally regarding this to Joseph Szabo, the Federal Railroad Administrator. Mr. Szabo encouraged our residents to go straight to the Federal Railroad Administration Alleged Violation Reporting Form and report the violation online at:
www.fra.dot.gov/app/violationreport
When you get to the part of the form that asks "Type of Alleged Violation", the drop down arrow will give you several options. Click on the option for "Train Horns." Please complete the time, date and location and then explain that you are reporting excessive train horn sounding that was either too loud, too long, or both.
Please continue to inform the Village about your experiences with train horns as we will be following up with the Federal Railroad Administrator to ensure that this issue is addressed. Thank you for taking time to complete the Alleged Violation Reporting form.
Memorial Day Observance
Please plan to attend Franklin Park's annual Memorial Day Observance on Monday, May 27th, at 11:00am at the Village's Veteran’s Memorial site at 9500 Belmont Avenue. The ceremony will honor our deceased Franklin Park veterans from all service branches and will feature the American Legion Franklin Park Post 974 doing the military formalities, the ceremonial Laying of The Wreath and 21 Gun Salute as well as a reading of the names of the departed veterans.
Crafters Wanted For Village Craft Fair
Franklin Park will host its first Craft Fair on Saturday, June 8th from 8:00am to 5:00pm. The Craft Fair will be held on the site of our popular, weekly Farmers’ Market and during our annual Railroad Daze Festival, an event that draws people from around the region.
Specifically, we are seeking crafters who produce jewelry, accessories, clothing and other home-made items for the home. For more information, please call Barb at (847) 671-8240.
Expanded Farmers' Market Opens June 1st At New Location
The Village of Franklin Park is excited to announce that the Farmers’ Market will be bigger this year and will take place at the northwest corner of 25th Avenue and Franklin Avenue.
Local vendors are joining the market and are ready to showcase their products to our residents and visitors. For example, one local bakery will be selling fine artisan breads along with their award winning tamales. Other vendors are still signing on and will be sending some of the freshest fruits, vegetables and baked items around.
The Farmers’ Market will take place EVERY Saturday from 8:00am to Noon starting June 1st. Plan to come out and meet up with your neighbors and friends while enjoying the harvest.
Click It or Ticket Helps Save Lives
The 2013 Click It or Ticket campaign kicks off May 10th in Illinois. The purpose of the campaign is to help save lives by cracking down on those who do not buckle up through the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
The Franklin Park Police Department is joining the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), the Illinois State Police (ISP) and over 500 local law enforcement agencies across the state to save more lives by strongly enforcing seat belt laws. The campaign will run from May 10 through the Memorial Day weekend. Franklin Park police officers will ticket anyone who is not wearing a seat belt.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 52 percent of the 21,253 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2011 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash. Deaths involving seat belt nonuse are more prevalent at night than during the daytime. According to NHTSA, 62 percent of the 10,135 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2011 during the overnight hours of 6pm to 5:59am were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash.
Beyond this prerequisite work at Ruby Street, it is estimated that millions of dollars of safety measure improvements would be required at the six rail crossings to allow for the Quiet Zone establishment. We will be able to develop more precise estimates as the process progresses. It was determined that the cost to make improvements would be the same for a 24-hour Quiet Zone as the 10:00pm to 6:00am designation.
In 2011, seat belts saved an estimated 11,949 lives nationwide according to NHTSA. Buckle up and encourage your loved ones to do the same. You will save the cost of a ticket and may save a life. For more information about the Click It or Ticket campaign, visit:
www.buckleupillinois.org