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Are you ready for the summer water use restrictions?
Hinsdale 11/20/07 Western Springs Columnist: Vicki Gonia Doings photo by Steve Johnston
Updated: May 11, 2012 5:57PM
As the water plant rehabilitation continues, and many of us are pulling dirty-looking dishes out of our dishwasher and washing them over again by hand, or finding different and creative ways to try to alleviate the problem, our water woes continue. Beginning May 1 and running through Sept. 30, the village of Western Springs has, for the first time in my memory, put outdoor water restrictions in place.
And they’re pretty strict, too. No outdoor water can be used between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on any day of the week for lawn or garden watering via a sprinkler, or car washing, or other nonpotable uses.
We can, however, use outdoor water before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m., on an even-odd system. If your address ends in an even number, you can water on even-numbered days. Odd number? Water on odd-numbered days. And we can use a watering container or hose to water gardens, trees or shrubs at any time as long as we don’t leave our watering devices unattended (but don’t wash your car, I guess!).
These restrictions will be enforced, and tickets will be issued to those violating them. Personally, I’ll be very glad when the water plant rehabilitation project is over.
That said, these new watering restrictions are going to spur me to order a rain barrel or two, something I’ve been meaning to do for a while now. According the village newsletter, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District is selling these rain barrels, which you can attach to a downspout on your house to collect rain water from the roof, for just $58! And you can water all day long with your collected rain water! (Though, I suppose it will be a little difficult to get that rain water to come out of your hose.)
An installation kit and delivery is included for that $58. Visit the MWRD website at www.mwrd.org to place your order. The rain barrels even come in different colors: blue, black terra cotta and grey.
Rain water is much better for plants, and collecting and using it is a pretty awesome form of recycling. Collecting rain water in barrels also helps alleviate storm water runoff. All good stuff! Just don’t drink it. Or wash your dishes with it.
Nominees sought
I’m a longtime fan of the Western Springs Historical Society, and they are now accepting nominations for their annual preservation awards, which are given in October. You can find the nomination form on the historical society website, at the Water Tower Museum or at the library. Deadline is May 31, so if there’s a house you’ve been admiring and believe is worthy of a preservation award, get your nomination in!
Upcoming
There are now more details about Spring Fest, which I mentioned in a recent column. It takes place on Saturday, May 19 on Burlington Avenue in front of Mecenat Bistro. It runs from 3-10 p.m., and there will be food, drink and live music from Robert David, Matthew Pingel and the band Evolution. There is a cover charge of $5, which sounds like a deal to me!
Spring Fest is sponsored by Scavuzzo’s Cafe Italia, Snackers Cafe, Hillgrove Wine Cellars, Kirshcbaum’s, Mecenat Bistro, Casey’s, 800 West and Vie, so you know there’s going to be plenty of great food and drink available.
While the Gathering on the Green (on June 22 this year) is my favorite local event, Spring Fest sounds like a blast. One of my favorite things about our village is that there are so many opportunities for residents to gather together around town.
If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, the Theatre of Western Springs has “The Shakespeare Stealer” on the Cattell Stage. The show runs May 10-12. Later this month, they’re producing Eugene O’Neill’s “Ah, Wilderness!” We’re so lucky to have such a great theater in town.
And, it seems that there are still vacancies in their Summer Drama Camp for kids, so if you’ve got a budding actor in your house, sign ’em up!
Check it out
Have you checked out the Western Spring Business Association website lately? It’s got a new look, and is a great resource for upcoming events, as well as finding businesses to fulfill your every need. The website is at http://westernspringbusiness.com. If you don’t already know about association, it’s a wonderful organization that helps foster the growth of local business and cooperation among businesses in or near our town. They’ve also got a Facebook page, so give it a “like” and get updates in your news feed!
Readers can contact Viki Gonia at (708) 824-8027 or by e-mail at doingsnews@pioneerlocal.com.
