"Ribbon cutting celebrates major street improvements in Willow Springs," Desplaines Valley News
Desplaines Valley News: Willow Fest opened with a focus on progress Thursday, July 24, as the Village of Willow Springs hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of a $2 million street improvement project—just hours before storms rolled in and forced the cancellation of the carnival and car show.
The Town Center Green Infrastructure Improvements project, a collaboration between the Village and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, replaced pavement on Willow Boulevard and Market Street with 62,760 square feet of permeable pavers. The new design provides more than 1 million gallons of stormwater storage, easing the load on the village’s sewer system and helping to reduce local flooding.
“This will reduce flooding in the streets,” said Village Administrator Ryan Grace.
The project was primarily funded by a $1.1 million grant through MWRD.
Attending the ribbon cutting were Willow Springs Mayor Melissa Neddermeyer and trustees Tom Arra, Fred Posch, Robert Sprinkle and Terrance Carr. Representing MWRD were President Kari Steele and Commissioners Beth McElroy Kirkwood and Eira L. Corral Sepúlveda. From the Township of Lyons were Supervisor Christopher Getty and Highway Department Commissioner Terry Carr. State legislators in attendance included state Senator John Curran and state Representative Nicole La Ha.
Also present were contractors Mike Noivckas, project superintendent from M&J Asphalt, and Jim Distasio and Olivia Lockett from CR Schmidt. Representing Novotny Engineering was Chief Engineer Tom Brandstedt. From the Pleasantdale Park District, Commissioner Jennifer Hennessey was in attendance. Kathy Hilton represented Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison’s office.
While the ribbon cutting marked a celebratory start to Willow Fest, severe weather including rain and lightning forced the cancellation of Thursday evening’s events, including the carnival and the popular Car Show. The car show will return next summer, while the carnival will resume on Friday and continue through the weekend as planned.
Saturday will be dedicated to blues music, with six bands curated by the Windy City Blues Society. Highlights included Dave Weld and The Imperial Flames and headliners the Cinelli Brothers, named 2024 Blues Band of the Year in the U.K.
On Sunday, rock bands like Free Byrd, Reckless, and Arra will keep crowds entertained well into the evening hours before the festival closes with a fireworks finale guaranteed to light up the night sky.
A craft fair will take place during the final two days of the festival, and bingo games return as a fan favorite.
Despite a stormy start, Willow Fest promises to deliver a vibrant mix of entertainment and civic pride, bringing the community together to celebrate both tradition and forward-looking improvements.