Sandton town needs diversity, less entertainment

Harvey’s Ruby Donahue has been active in Sandton Township for many years and is concerned about the direction of the town.

“The image of the town has weakened,” Donahue said. “I went to all the municipalities and talked to people individually. A lot of them were not happy with what was going on in town.”

Donahue addressed the audience in public comment at the Sandton Town Council meeting in South Holland on Tuesday. She criticized the board for seemingly prioritizing the promotion of festivals and other events over feeding the hungry and providing other assistance.

“When talking to other people, they said, ‘We don’t want to go anywhere out there,'” she said. “They’re not interested in bingo every week. They want to know how the bills are being paid. They want to know the budget.”

Donahue is a longtime member of the town’s Human Relations Committee. Volunteers representing many of the town’s 15 communities serve on the committee.

Longtime township supervisor Frank Zuccarelli, who died suddenly in January, encouraged the council to sponsor programs to get people involved in their communities. The town’s committee has partnered with Thornton Township High School District 205, South Suburban College and more to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Donahue said she believes the diversity of people involved in the township is less now than when Zuccarelli was in charge.

“We need to get more people into small towns, people of all races, not just African Americans,” Donahue said. “We have to turn in a different direction to increase diversity in townships.”

Officials in Thornton have claimed for years that they are the most populous town in the state. However, this may no longer be the case, as many communities have lost large numbers of residents over the past decade.

Census figures show Harvey loses 4,958 residents Between 2010 and 2020, it decreased by 19.6% to 20,324. Riverdale lost 21.3 percent of its population, down 2,886 to 10,663.

“We used to be the best in Illinois,” Donahue said. “Now, what do we have to offer?”

The town covers Blue Isle, Burnham, Calumet City, Dixmoor, Dalton, East Hazel Crown, Harvey, Hazel Crown, Homewood, Lansing, Markham, Phoenix, Lane All or part of Ferdale, South Holland and Sandton.

The town of Thornton remains a key asset for Illinois and Cook County Democrats. Voters tend to go to elections. Zucarelli’s political influence is very strong, and the town remains an important voting bloc.

State Sen. Napoleon Harris (D-Harvey), the town’s new Democratic commissioner, said that when he recently met for the first time with Democratic commissioners representing 50 Chicago districts and 30 townships in Cook County, his The popularity exceeded expectations.

“Thornton has a great reputation,” he told one Dalton Party“People lined up to talk to me. U.S. senators were raised in Thornton Township. Presidents were made in Thornton Township. Thornton Township was a springboard.”

While the town may retain its political luster, Donahue said town government appears to have dwindled in recent months. The board appointed Dalton Mayor Tiffany Henyard as director in March for the remainder of Zuccarelli’s term, which ends in 2025.

“They say townships are different,” Donahue said of the people she’s spoken to across townships. “They see the town differently and they don’t know how to correct it.”

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Donahue in April Township Annual Meeting. Many township employees at the time expressed support for Henyard.

Henyard’s dual role as mayor and town supervisor remains a controversial figure. She was elected mayor after campaigning with promises of reform. However, the Dalton village government has stalled, and Henyard is locked in a legal battle with a board majority over hiring, spending and other practices.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, some residents and former township workers have raised similar concerns about Henyard’s management of township governments. Some on social media criticized the town for paying for bands for the recent Taste of Thornton Township festival and other events.

Donahue said she believes the town can change course by returning to its roots of meeting basic needs, such as helping people with food and shelter, rather than hosting recreational events. A good start is to reach out to the mayor to diversify the representation of the township residents involved in the project.

“I think a lot of things can be worked out,” Donahue said. “I think this can be improved by contacting the municipality.”

Ted Slowik is a columnist for Daily Southtown.

tslowik@tribpub.com