Ordinance committee forwards two Hobby Street honorary-name requests to full council

The Kankakee ordinance committee voted to forward two honorary-street-name applications to the full city council, recommending that portions of North Hobby Street be named to honor former Mayor Chastity Wells Armstrong and John and Leta Malone.

What happened: Committee members voted to send both applications to the city council for final approval. The applications included essays and the required number of resident signatures, presenters told the committee.

Applicant Sherry Malone Marshall presented the nomination for Chastity Wells Armstrong and said the request covers most blocks of North Hobby (with an exception discussed for the 800 block). "She did a lot of great things for the city while she was serving us," Malone Marshall said, citing efforts to keep Hobby Street on the city's improvement list and to address repeated flooding on the street.

A second application, submitted by the same applicant, requested that the 800 block of North Hobby be named for John and Leta Malone. A presenter described John Malone as "a pillar in the community" and said the Malones owned a laundromat and food mart and operated neighborhood businesses for many years.

Votes and procedure: Committee members recorded affirmative votes and the chair said both motions passed and would be passed on to the full city council for final resolution. Presenters said the essays and supporting materials will be included in the council resolution.

Ending: The committee took no final naming action itself; both requests will appear on a future full city council agenda for formal approval.