Wegolb: The WeGo Weblog for West Chicago

2004-01-22T17:31:00.000-06:00

Chicago Sun-Times picks up McAuley School story
There's not a whole lot new in the Sun-Times report on the effort to save Illinois's last one-room school, which I noted last week. West Chicago School District 33 still wants the McAuley School Rescue and Restoration Group to present its fundraising plans by the end of the month--and still wants to sell the land the schoolhouse is on by the end of June.

But while you're familiar with the story, you have to be glad about the attention of such a major metro daily. It can't hurt the effort to save the building--something everybody wants, but not everybody wants to fund.

2004-01-22T17:24:00.000-06:00

City buys three 19th century homes on Main Street
As part of its efforts to beautify and reinvigorate the downtown area, the West Chicago City Council spent about $500,000 to buy three Main Street homes between downtown and City Hall.

"The idea is to hold these for development and if there's no interest, we can turn around and sell them," Mayor Michael Fortner told The Daily Herald.

A city press release posted on WegoWeb is more specific: "These properties ... are ripe for either rehabilitation into mixed-use houses with office/retail on the first floor and residential above, or for a larger development when assembled with neighboring properties, similar to what is being done with the former Mobil site down the street."

411 Main "has become somewhat notorious locally" for its connection with November's police shooting, notes the Herald.

The city manager's analysis, posted on WegoWeb, estimates that the city could see a $43,282 return on their investment in four years.

2004-01-22T17:05:00.000-06:00

Lions Club awards
The Daily Herald Wednesday dutifully noted the West Chicago Lions Club's annual dinner, along with its awards to Lulu Holguin (Citizen of the Year), Mickey Cox (Melvin Jones Fellowship Award), and Tom Feltes (Special Appreciation Award).

2004-01-22T17:01:00.000-06:00

Sad news, no details
Today's Tribune has this sad obituary: "Cori E. Colford, 17, of West Chicago, loving daughter of Gisele (Michael) Flaynik and Patrick (Carol) Colford." No word in any of the local media about how Cori died, though one would have expected the death of a local 17-year-old--especially one of a long-time and notable local family--to make the news, no matter the circumstances. Any one know what happened?

The Tribune also noted the death of former West Chicago resident Thomas L. Rucker, 68, who had been living in Aurora.

2004-01-21T16:54:00.000-06:00

West Chicago's history through the eyes of EBay
I'm not selling this postcard photo of the Community High School in the mid-1950s. I'm just letting you know it's being auctioned on eBay.

Other items include two patches: an emergency services patch and a general West Chicago "Community Strip B&W RWS" (Translation please?)

2004-01-21T16:41:00.000-06:00

Gangland: The Sequel?
The Courier News of Elgin this week ran a two-part report (part 1 | part 2) on local gangs with troubling conclusions: new troublemakers are arriving from California, and they may be harder to quarantine and eradicate than west suburban gangs of the past.

The series quotes extensively from West Chicago police Cmdr. Bruce Malkin, noting that our fair city is one of the few to have resident gang members fingered in recent shootings or stabbings. After commenting that one emergent gang, Mara Salvatrucha, contains hard-core members who "are former guerrilla soldiers from Central America with extensive training in weapons and warfare tactics," Malkin is quoted as saying these new groups "are a force to be reckoned with."

"When we started seeing [gang members] seven years ago, a lot of guys didn't know about them," Malkin told reporter John Dobberstein. "Then we caught on to what they're about, and now they're coming out of the woodwork."

According to The Courier News, two of the main gangs in town are the Nortenos 14's (which has a long rivalry with the Mexican Mafia-aligned Surenos 13's, which is California's largest prison gang and is present in in 14 Chicagoland suburbs, including Joliet and Carol Stream) and 18th Street, L.A.'s largest street gang, with ties to Mexican and Colombian drug cartels.

The gangs are drawn here, says Malkin, because the large Hispanic population "provide[s] a tremendous underground network" for recruiting.

So Malkin has been actively involved in making the town less friendly for such recruiting. Dobberstein writes:

West Chicago police put together a plan several years ago to educate the public about gangs, to increase training of officers, to step up intervention efforts, to clean up gang graffiti and to put a higher priority on investigating gang-related crimes.
In 1999, West Chicago and the Illinois attorney general's gang-crime prevention center teamed up to build community centers in West Chicago neighborhoods that were gang-infested, and the police department started up a "problem-oriented policing" unit to make parents more accountable for their children's actions.

(Notably, there's no word on West Chicago's innovative efforts at civil suits.)

But even involving parents down't always help, West Chicago patrolman Ray Johnson told the paper. "The parents deny it, even if their kid's spiral notebook has 13s all over it and everything they wear is blue," he said.

With problems like this, it's clear that education and intervention only go so far. West Chicago's biggest weapon, then, has become the immigration department:

In the past few years, West Chicago police have requested deportation of an estimated 50 illegal aliens, most of them Surenos 13s, Malkin said.
"We keep real detailed intelligence on these guys, and the ones identified as hard core, we scoop them up, interview them, and if they're not legally in the country, we give them a free ticket back," Malkin said.
"The word gets out real quick, and everyone goes underground for awhile."

But "for awhile" may be soon ending, The Courier News report suggests.

2004-01-21T15:38:00.000-06:00

Better than Netflix
When I lived in Seattle, the King County Library system had an incredible deal: you could order materials online, and the library would mail them to you for free. That was before the rise of the Internet, so I don't know if the system is still in place.

But the West Chicago library has an even better deal, provided you have a disability (even a temporary one). Jessica Hausckuecht, the library's outreach coordinator, or a volunteer will personally drive to your house with your book, video, or whatever, then pick it up again three weeks later. Sound like a great deal, but don't know what to read? Ask Marilyn Dashiell, who'll help you pick a title or two based on your interests. The only stipulation for delivery, adult services manager Pamela Galion told the West Chicago Press, is that those requesting it "must live in the boundaries of the district and cannot make it to the library on their own."

2004-01-21T15:27:00.000-06:00

He's certifiable
West Chicago resident Tim Holmes is DuPage County's first graduate of the Youth Development Practitioner Certification Program. Holmes, whom the West Chicago Press describes as "a former drug user and gang member," is the Latino liaison between the DuPage County Area Project and the city's Riverwoods Community Center.

"I know that my calling in life is to use my past to better someone's future," Holmes told the paper. "Truthfully, I was lacking love, attention and comfort. After I gave my life to the Lord, He showed me what these children at Riverwoods were lacking was what I wanted as a kid."

2004-01-15T12:02:00.000-06:00

Here come da judge
You may know that town resident Robert Thomas is an Illinois Supreme Court Justice. You may also know that he's a former Chicago Bears place-kicker (1975-84).

You may also know that Kane County Chronicle columnist Bill Page accused him of unfairly dealing with Kane County State's Attorney Meg Gorecki, who received a four-month suspension of her law license for ethics violations.

You may not know that Thomas has filed a defamation lawsuit against Page, the Chronicle, Managing Editor Greg Rivara, and Shaw Suburban Media Group. Here's what today's Daily Herald says:

In the columns, Page painted Thomas as a biased judge and a political enemy of Gorecki during last year's deliberations about what punishment, if any, she would receive for suggesting a bribes-for-jobs scheme in 1998. Page wrote that Thomas tried to influence the court to disbar Gorecki or suspend her license for a year.
He compromised on the four-month suspension, Page wrote in his columns, when Thomas was promised support for Kane County Judge Robert Spence's judicial campaign.
Thomas denies the allegations of bias or political trades.

The Chronicle, which stands by Page's columns, ran an article on the subject yesterday. And since I have no interest in incuring any wrath from an Illinois Supreme Court Justice and former Bear who's on the warpath, I think I'll refrain from commenting on this item.

2004-01-15T11:39:00.000-06:00

Clear!
Central DuPage Hospital announced yesterday that West Chicago will be among the four area police departments to receive funds for portable automated external defibrillators. But The Daily Herald isn't clear whether the devices have already been purchased (it's all in the past tense), but it sounds like that between the four local Ws--West Chicago, Winfield, Warrenville, and Wheaton--police will have 54 defibrillators among them.

David Cooke, CDH's medical director of cardiovascular services, said the hospital sees about 1,000 deaths from cardiac arrest annually--and that number should drop with police carrying these devices in their cars.

"The only thing keeping these people from surviving is the distance and time from one of these types of devices," Cooke told the paper.

2004-01-15T11:31:00.000-06:00

Michigan web site designed by West Chicago resident is a surprising hit
Nearly 350,000 people logged on to The Leland Report last year. These days the site, devoted to the northwest Michigan town between Lake Michigan and Lake Leelenau, gets about 2,350 visitors each day--more than the townhip's 2,033 population (according to the 2000 census).

Perhaps more surprising is that the site is designed by West Chicago artist James Burnham of Burnham Graphic Arts, Inc. The graphic arts business was started by whose father, who now runs the day-to-day operations for the Leland Report. Hmm. Wonder if he's ever heard of Wegolb? We could use a few thousand daily readers...

2004-01-15T11:06:00.000-06:00

Recent deaths in town:

Ed McCarthy, 81 | Longtime Chicago resident and mail carrier had lived in West Chicago's Wood-Glen Nursing Home since 1997 (Chicago Tribune | See also DuPage Cremations guestbook)
Susan V. Carlson, 45 | Nee Susan Dean, formerly of Lombard, married to Kurt Carlson (Chicago Tribune)
Thomas E. Cowper, Sr., 73 | Died surrounded by family following a lengthy illness (Chicago Tribune)

2004-01-14T16:57:00.000-06:00

Part of historic downtown to be razed
Part of one of the town's historic districts, at Washington and Fremont streets, will be torn down to make room for the STAR Line, the high-speed commuter rail linking Joliet and O'Hare.

"Because one of the stops is proposed for McConnell Avenue in West Chicago, some historic buildings in the area are in prime redevelopment locations," The Daily Herald reports. One building won't move: "The Tastee-Freez is a contributing building and almost a significant (architectural) structure," Luann Bombard, West Chicago's director of cultural services, told the paper.

2004-01-14T16:22:00.000-06:00

More recent articles:

West Chicago fire district gets $194,000 U.S. grant (Chicago Tribune)

West Chicago seeking a Mexican sister city | West Chicago already has a sister city relationship with Taufkirchen, a German village of 9,000 people in Bavaria, but now it wants to build a bridge between the city's white and Hispanic populations (Daily Herald)

Slayings decline in suburbs | Lucky us: We had one of only four murders in DuPage County for 2003 (Chicago Tribune)

District 94 staff makes plans for Lincoln School property | District 94 officials said students and staff should be able to use the new athletic fields by the spring of 2005 (West Chicago Press)

City purchases three properties to bolster redevelopment along Main Street | Officials look to expand its downtown redevelopment efforts (Press release, via WegoWeb)

Two local residents charged with shoplifting at Wal-Mart | Luis Fernando Bermudez, 30, and Sofia Rubio, 33, both of 323 Clayton St., reportedly tried to walk away with two watches, two knives and two books, and two of every animal that creepeth upon the earth (Daily Herald blotter)

M-Wave announces development in its restructuring | West Chicago business still owes Bank One $2.4 million, but at least the bank gave it another month (Press release)

2004-01-14T16:03:00.000-06:00

DuPage County officials slam look of tech park
West Chicago's technology park has had one headache after another. Funding for the first building has stalled in Congress, though Tech park executive director Jack Tenison said U.S. Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert still has confidence it will be included in a $100 billion transportation bill.

"Funding is still on track, though," Tenison told tech park board members, according to The Daily Herald. "They are hopeful this will get done in the first quarter."

Trouble isn't only in the nation's capital; down in Springfield, Gov. Rod Blagojevich has held up some funding. Over in Wheaton, so have DuPage county officials.

Now comes word from the tech park board that the landscape plan ain't so pretty. Among the phrases, according to the Tribune: "An architectural blight," "an eyesore," and " downright ugly."

The comments were apparently deemed so amusing that the story was picked up by The Miami Herald. I am not making this up. And when Miami residents are laughing at you, you've really got a problem.

2004-01-14T14:00:00.000-06:00

Saving West Chicago's schools
The Trib has an article on the effort to save McAuley School, which was the last operating one-room schoolhouse in Illinois. Selling the 1.8 acres off of Roosevelt Road upon which it sits could almost totally wipe out the $237,000 deficit in the budget of West Chicago Elementary School District 33, but it's unclear what will happen to the building, the paper reports.

Of course, you knew all of this if you've been reading Bob Lemon's WegoWeb, or if you attended the McAuley School open house in December.

2004-01-14T13:42:00.000-06:00

Taxes go up on video, DVD, and videogame rentals
If you rent videos or videogames at West Chicago's Hollywood Video or Blockbuster stores, be prepared to spend more. The City Council last Monday voted 9-3 to approve a 3 percent tax, which starts in March.

Good news for the city: the tax is expected to bring in between $30,000 and $35,000 a year. Bad news for renters: prices at the two WeGo chain stores are already the highest around.

At Hollywood, on Neltnor (Rt. 59) and Washington, new release DVDs are $4 (20 cents off if it's a VHS tape instead), and $2 for older titles on VHS. Videogames are $6 for 5 days. Blockbuster, at Roosevelt and Joliet, is basically the same, but charges $3.79 for both new DVDs and VHS titles. Like Hollywood, the price doesn't go down for DVDs, but older VHS titles are $2. Videogames are $6 here, too. the big difference between the two? Blockbuster takes competitors' coupons, Hollywood doesn't.

Just down Washington Street/Geneva Road, however, is Video Images, an independent store with lower prices acoss the board: New releases are $3, dropping to $2 for older DVDs, and $1.50 for older VHS titles. Most videogames are $5 for five days, except games for the popular PlayStation 2. Ironically, these are a buck cheaper. And since Video Images is in Winfield, it's not subject to the West Chicago tax.

So the question becomes: Whom do you support? The more expensive chain store in town, or the cheaper independent store down the road? ( I should add that Video Images used to have a West Chicago branch at 139 W. Roosevelt, but it's long gone.)

Back to the tax: Not surprisingly, the Encino, California-based Video Software Dealers Association isn't happy with the council's efforts. "Tax rates should be equitably applied so as not to favor one type of business over another, absent a compelling justification," spokesman Sean Bersell told Supermarket News. "Although the amount of the additional tax that would be levied on each rental may seem small, it would change the competitive dynamics of the market for home viewing or movies."

Supermarket News also reports that the council raised raised license fees for currency exchanges and businesses that cash checks. Since I think most of these places exploit the poor (or do they?), I'm conflicted: on one hand, I don't like having these businesses in my town, and such a tax may discourage such . On the other hand, this tax is clearly only going to affect the poor--not too many rich dudes cash their checks at these places.

2004-01-14T13:19:00.000-06:00

Back, for now at least
Since there's so much West Chicago news in the last few days, I figured I might as well update a few posts. It's been early a year, but hey. It's not like traffic dropped off!

2003-04-08T17:45:00.000-05:00

District 33 lobbies Springfield
The West Chicago Elementary School District #33 legislative initiative is in full force this week as Superintendent Jon Mink and others are visiting state lawmakers to ask for additional school funding.

"The administrators are seeking help on a number of fronts: additional state aid for schools, an end to unfunded mandates, an end to local property tax caps and a recalculation of a census poverty count," writes the Chicago Tribune's Ana Beatriz Cholo in today's edition.

Mink calls the $3.7 million school referendum passed April 1 "a Band-Aid," and says the real solution must come from Springfield. "It's frustrating every year to be faced with financial crisis. People say education is important ... but then you need to back that up with money," he said (and I'm pretty sure the Tribune quoted him better than the Press did earlier this week).

Mink, Chicago school chief Arne Duncan, and other local administrators, are asking for several changes and funding additions. Check out District 33's legislative initiative page to see how you can help.

2003-04-08T16:59:00.000-05:00

Blotto blotter: West Chicago teens busted for drinking
Police busted ten underage drinkers at the Naperville Red Roof Inn early Saturday morning, the Daily Herald reports. Most of the young partiers were from West Chicago, including family members Sirenia and Noe Huerta (29W144 Bolles Ave.), 18-year-olds Caesar Garcia (823 Lincoln Ave.) and Joshua W. Aramburo (500 Belleview Ave.), 19-year-olds Bobby M. Dieter (124 E. Stimmel St.) and Brian J. Toms (405 Arbor Ave.), and 20-year old Alejandro Salinas (600 W. Forest Ave.). A cited 16-year-old, who may or may not have been from West Chicago, was not named. (Note: several of the above names were cited for consumption, others merely for possession.)

2003-04-05T13:16:00.000-06:00

District 33 will soon begin rehiring teachers
A blurb in today's Chicago Tribune says that West Chicago Elementary School District #33 will "begin rehiring teachers as soon as possible, with a partial list to be submitted by Supt. John Mink to the school board April 17."

2003-04-04T15:55:00.000-06:00

The last $300,000 in the district 33 budget
Tuesday's vote for the District 33 tax referendum "means only $300,000 has to be sliced from the coming year's budget," the Daily Herald reports today.

"The goal of the board is to reinstate all programming that had been scheduled for cutting if the referendum had failed," Superintendent Jon Mink said. "I imagine there will be some administrative recommendations."

There was a list made up of how to cut $1.3 million from the budget, but that was before teachers and staffers agreed to freeze their salaries, saving $1 million. "The board identified some $300,000 in supplies and equipment in that list," Mink told the paper.

However, the Winter 2003 district newsletter says the board may decide to "raising the minimum number of students in a class so that there will be no fewer than 20 students per classroom. This change alone could generate the additional revenue still needed."

The remaining budget cuts will probably be determined at the April 27 meeting of the school district board, the Herald says.

2003-04-04T15:43:00.000-06:00

Why David Sabathne lost
Finally, a piece of election analysis. The Daily Herald examines how political novice Greg Kauth won the Ward 2 city council race, defeating 10-year incumbent David Sabathne in a landslide.

"Certainly I was outspent," Sabathne, the town's longest-serving alderman, told the paper, "but I'll give credit to Greg because he walked out there and did what he needed to do."

"I just worked a lot door-to-door and introducing myself around the neighborhood," Kauth said. "And a lot of it is Dave being in office 10 years. Anyone at that point gets a lot of baggage."

Kauth was more than happy to point out some of that baggage, as one of his main campaign issues was that Sabathne is director of the chamber of commerce. "In my opinion his being the paid director of that was a big conflict of interest," he said.

Sabathne says the claim is ridiculous and beside the point. "I'm embarrassed by the lack of support the city provides the chamber," he said. "Did they just want me off the council, or are they willing to continue hurting the city based on their personal agendas?"

Sabathne counteres the criticism by saying that Kauth may be beholden to city treasurer Don Earley, who asked him to run. But Kauth denies it. "Don said to me all he expects of me is to return the phone calls of my constituents," he said.

Now how about an article about what issues face the new city council, and what the passions and promises of the new members might mean for the future of the city?

2003-04-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

Freeze still frozen
According to a press release posted at the West Chicago Elementary School District #33 website and WegoWeb, the West Chicago Press really blew it this week.

"The district, School Board and teacher's union agreed to a pay freeze March 12, saving the district an estimated $1 million," an unbylined article about the District 33 referendum reported. "However, Superintendent Jon Mink said April 1 the pay freeze for teachers and support staff would likely be lifted."

That apparently came as quite a shock to Mink.

"The reporter claims Dr. Mink spoke these words during his victory speech the evening of April 1. What Dr. Mink did say was that, 'the pay freeze by teachers, support staff, and administrators is what put us over the top' in winning the campaign,'" the press release says.

The Press will reportedly correct the error on the front page of its next issue.

2003-04-04T07:53:00.000-06:00

The tax referendum that didn't pass
"Wheaton mosquitoes soon may be packing up and heading to West Chicago," The Daily Herald reports today. Wheaton passed its tax increase for mosquito abatement, but West Chicago voted it down, 2712 to 3703.

Supporters of the tax increase blame the wording. It looked like it would be a huge tax increase, but actually the owner of a $200,000 house in West Chicago would have paid about $2.91 more a year.

"Needless to say, the board is disappointed," Tom Eckhardt, attorney for the West Chicago district, told the paper. "The amounts are so small."

2003-04-04T07:41:00.000-06:00

Blotter
Tuesday night, Batavia police arrested 26-year-old Sandra Cardoso, of 806 Burr Oaks Drive, Apt. 102, for shoplifting at the local Kohl's.

2003-04-03T17:41:00.000-06:00

Daily Herald: It's about sacrifice
Today's Daily Herald has an editorial on the District 33 referendum and other community sacrifices. District 33, the paper said, "needed a tax increase to avoid eliminating more than 100 positions, cutting programs and shortening the school day. All that was avoided with a tax increase. Teachers in this district made a sacrifice of their own by freezing their own pay. That had to resonate with voters."

An average $400 annual tax increase is "hard to take," the paper admits. "But it would have been harder for civic-minded voters to take the quality out of their schools. What a powerful statement of sacrifice."

2003-04-03T17:32:00.000-06:00

The changing face of the city council
The Press's other online article this week is on how the election changes the city council.

As you undoubtedly know by now, Greg Kauth defeated incumbent David Sabathne by a 10-to-3 margin. Meanwhile, incumbent Nancy Kifer Assian defeated her challengers, and Bessie Karegianes was defeated in the new 7th ward.

The Press article has no quotes from either winners or losers, and doesn't analyze what it all might mean for the city. Too bad. If you have election analysis of your own, click the "Your thoughts?" button below.

2003-04-03T17:03:00.000-06:00

Reaction on 33
The West Chicago Press has something I've been looking for: a few quotes about the passage of the West Chicago Elementary School District 33 tax referendum.

"The education for these kids has been saved," Annmarie Danes, co-chairman of the district's referendum committee, tells the paper (which spells her name Ann Marie Danes). School Board member Deborah Ramsey, who has apparently been re-elected, is also pleased. "I'm so proud to be part of this community," she said. They came through for the kids." No one who opposed the referendum is quoted in the story (though it would have been pretty easy to get a quote: some residents had been quite vocal in their opposition. Note, however, that Brad Smith, whose letter of opposition is linked above, retracted his opposition before the vote.)

One other important point of news: according to the Press,District 33 Superintendent Jon Mink said on election day that the pay freeze for teachers and support staff would likely be lifted. The Daily Herald had reported that it likely wouldn't. Will someone please clarify? [UPDATE: Someone did.]

Since neither the Press nor the Herald say it, I'll point it out myself: according to the referendum committee, the fight isn't over. The committee is still has a legislative initative, and is asking residents to tell legislators that the way schools are funded in Illinois is not acceptable. For more information on the initiative, contact Barbara Toney.

2003-04-03T08:23:00.000-06:00

Not another subdivision, cry subdivision residents
Folks in West Chicago's Willow Creek subdivision are fighting plans for Preston Fields, a 200-home subdivision north of Hawthorne Lane and east of Route 59. They say it will increase traffic.
"We were told we'd be an encapsulated neighborhood with only two entrances, and we feel we were misled by the developer and now by the city who is allowing this to happen," Willow Creek Homeowners Association President Tormey Campagna told The Daily Herald.

It won't be an easy battle. "This was agreed to by a previous city council," Alderman Michael Kwasman notes. Nevertheless, Kwasman will bring the issue up at the next development committee meeting.

2003-04-03T08:17:00.000-06:00

Helicopter crash ruled an accident
Sgt. Raymond Rodriguez, a forensics expert with the county sheriff's office, says the January 28 crash of Air Angels helicopter pilot Michael Russell was an accident. It wasn't intentional, it wasn't the result of foul play, and it wasn't because of the weather, he said, according to The Daily Herald.

But was it because of the helicopter? Rodriguez won't say, noting that the National Transportation Safety Board is continuing its investigation into the crash, and will still be investigating for another nine months to a year. But Todd Smith, the attorney for Russell's family, is more direct. "With his experience, that he would lose control on his own with benign weather conditions causes us to worry something was wrong with the helicopter."

Russell was reportedly leaving the Air Angels because he was upset with helicopter maintenance.

2003-04-03T08:09:00.000-06:00

The blotter
Last Friday, Oak Park police charged 24-year-old Gina Milarski, of 1N648 Center Ave., with possession of drug paraphernalia. At 2 a.m. Sunday morning, Schaumburg police nabbed 27-year-old Shannon Ptak at Roselle Road and Hartford Drive and arrested her on DUI and speeding charges.

2003-04-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

No reaction printed yet
I've been monitoring the papers and haven't seen any reaction stories yet on the passage of the District 33 referendum, or on what it means for the schools. The Daily Herald notes that the teachers' pay freeze is unaffected by the vote.

The school district's website thanks voters for their suppport but doesn't have news on how the passage will affect the 86 teachers who were "released," though district officials had earlier told reporters that the teachers might be reinstated.

Support33.com hasn't been updated since the vote.

2003-04-01T21:57:00.000-06:00

District 33 referendum passes
The tax referendum on West Chicago Elementary School District #33 passed by only 150 votes -- 1929 to 1779 (52% to 48%). Expect reaction tomorrow.

2003-02-25T16:53:00.000-06:00

Eat and run
You've gotta be proud of all 343 Chicago area firefighters and the 3,300 others who climbed the Hancock building's 1,632 stairs for charity Sunday. But give the West Chicago firefighters who did it, to raise money for the American Lung Association's Firefighter Lung Disease Fund, a little extra credit. Presumably they raced up the 94 floors just a day after the Fire House Chilifest.

2003-02-25T16:45:00.000-06:00

Boundaries at last
It just wouldn't have been a St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 board meeting without one last fight over the new boundaries.

"Going into Monday's meeting, the contentious boundary discussion appeared headed for a quiet end," the Daily Herald reports today. "But two hours into the meeting board members were stuck in the middle of a debate over one more last-minute change to the so-called 'red scenario' the board had reached consensus over just a week earlier."

Nevertheless, by the end of the night, the board voted unanimously to approve the plan they came to tentative agreement on February 12.

2003-02-24T16:36:00.000-06:00

District 303 will vote on boundaries tonight
In case you missed the news, the St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 Board came to a consensus February 12 on its new boundaries.

Basically, the board agreed to the “Red plan” with a few exceptions. Reams upon reams of information on the boundaries, including maps (careful, they’ll take for ever to download) is available at the district’s website. There’s also a lot of community reaction to the plan there, but the district stopped posting the responses at noon today.

The new boundaries, which were created because of a new elementary school in the West Chicago subdivision of Cornerstone Lakes (as well as another in South Elgin and overcrowding in the rest of the district), will mean 14 new teaching positions, the Daily Herald reports. It’s not said whether that number will change if the April 1 referendum passes.

Expect more reports tomorrow after tonight’s school board vote. “I'll be good to get that all behind us,” board member Chris Hansen tells the Herald.

2003-02-24T15:54:00.000-06:00

Metra's Elburn expansion means end of West Chicago transfer
The Kane County Chronicle reports that Metra will spend $1.5 million on an expansion site in Elburn.

What that means for West Chicago, the paper reports, is that “the coach yard will reduce train delays and eliminate the early morning train transfer from West Chicago to Geneva.”

2003-02-24T15:53:00.000-06:00

Warren Knight, R.I.P.
West Chicago resident Warren D. Knight died at his Elite Ave. home last Friday at age 82. I've only seen a death notice, not an obituary. If you knew Mr. Knight, please comment using the link below.

2003-02-24T15:48:00.000-06:00

Meet the Ministrymobile
The St. Vincent de Paul Society (yes, the same organization behind the low-income senior housing project that's now on indefinite hold) is profiled in the Herald for its ministry of providing car service to the needy.

“We're hoping these cars will help people get over the hump, to get a job or keep a job they might have. And, hopefully, they might be able to afford something a little better,” the society's Doretta Gates says.

2003-02-24T15:23:00.000-06:00

Image is everything in state-of-the-city address
“Image enhancement continues to be one of the city’s most important goals,” Mayor Michael Fortner said Monday night in his state-of-the-city address. “More than a goal, the image of the city is a guiding principle used in all aspects of decisions made by the council, staff and myself.”

Among the efforts at image enhancement are a marketing campaign, improving the city’s customer service, bolstering the police force, and upgrading city infrastructure.

Of course, no discussion of city image would be complete without an update on the thorium cleanup, and Mayor Fortner duly noted that the cleanup is almost done (an EPA report is due this summer, I’ve been told).

A more recent community complaint is the truck traffic along Hawthorne Lane. To fix this, the city plans to extend Atlantic Drive to connect Woodland Avenue and Route 64.

The city is also hoping for a development boom at the corner of routes 59 and 64, due in large part to the construction of the 211-home Prestonfield subdivision.

“The tone of new development and redevelopment makes such an important first impression on anyone visiting West Chicago,” Fortner said.

And so, clearly, do run-down homes. “We cannot turn a blind eye indefinitely, and the new rules will provide clearer policies for temporary repairs, weeds and motor vehicles in yards,” Fortner said. Therefore codes will be even more strictly enforced.

“I thought it was accurate and exciting,” council member Christine Baxter told the Daily Herald after the address. “We’re on a roll.”

There’s a lot more noted in the Daily Herald’s and West Chicago Press’s accounts, and there’s probably a lot more in the mayor’s speech. Sadly, the last time the state-of-the-city address was posted online was in 2000.

UPDATE: Mayor Fortner was kind enough to send the text of the message. Here it is:

STATE OF THE CITY
By Mayor Mike Fortner, February 17, 2003

From international tensions to state and local funding crises, this last year has been full of uncertainty in our world. Despite the uncertainties around us I am pleased to report on the positive results that West Chicago has achieved this last year. Those achievements set us on a continued path for positive accomplishments in this coming year.

Image enhancement continues to be one of the city’s most important goals. More than a goal, the image of the city is a guiding principle used in all aspects of decisions made by the council, staff, and myself. Better city services, new development, maintaining and improving existing properties, upgrading. Small items like a new marketing package in 2003 reinforce the importance of our image.

Planning for the Future
Improved city services begin with the understanding that our community is growing and will continue to grow. There is growth in population and in jobs in our future and the city is committed to active planning to stay ahead of the needs of the community.

The past growth will make itself apparent as we add two new wards this year and increase the City Council from 10 to 14 Aldermen. The city staff is also responding to the growth in the community by improving teamwork between departments and modernizing the organization. The Finance committee and staff have worked to create a pay plan that will enable us to keep and recruit good employees, but stay within the city’s budget needs.

We say a fond farewell to our retiring staff, including department heads Ken Dean and Warren Warren who have served long and well. We have already begun to fill those vacancies so that the staff can move forward and continue to eliminate inefficient practices and improve customer service. Internally the staff has created a customer service committee to monitor a new five-point service improvement plan. Externally the council adopted an ordinance to create a new Equal Opportunity Board which will become active this year.

Communication has been a key to successful partnerships between the city and members of the community. The Council of Governments continues to meet regularly and provides a means for the officials of the governing bodies serving West Chicago to share thoughts and ideas, keeping everyone up-to-date. The internet is becoming ever more reliable as a means to get information. The city will be upgrading its web site to provide more to the community in the coming year.

The city is also continuing to follow the 2001 police improvement plan and a number of new officers joined the force last year. By many measures 2002 was one of the best years for law enforcement in West Chicago. Many have noticed that graffiti and other evidence of crime is down. The problem is by no means solved, and West Chicago will continue to make a strong police department a top priority.

Future growth requires increased and upgraded city infrastructure. I’m pleased to report that the Infrastructure Committee and Public Works department have been working on many projects this past year. Road repairs and parkway improvements have been maintained, even when the city has to hire additional expertise to get it right, as we did for Colford Avenue. This year we will continue work on a plan to better identify city properties that need improvement or replacement.

The public demands and deserves the highest quality water at the best possible price. Last year we successfully bonded and bid the work on the new water treatment plant. This project will begin construction this year and is on track to be completed in late 2004. The plant will have more than enough capacity to meet our immediate and future needs, and it will meet or exceeds all Federal standards for drinking water. There will be disruptions as we build the pipes to move water from the wells to the plant, and the city has already met with one impacted neighborhood. We will be active in communicating the status of construction to the residents as this project continues.

Businesses and residents along Hawthorn Lane have long sought an additional road to reach Route 64. The city has been working to secure land that will extend Atlantic Drive to connect with Woodland and Route 64. In the coming year we have provided a budget to acquire the remaining right-of-way and complete all engineering for the city’s components. When complete, this road will provide long-term relief for traffic throughout the area.

Clean up continues on the Kerr McGee factory site and the city entered into a joint agreement with the West Chicago Park District, DuPage County, Forest Preserve District and City of Warrenville to present a common front in our negotiations. I am committed to do all I can to minimize truck traffic through quiet residential neighborhoods during the clean up. These affected residential areas are still a concern, and the newsletter from the city will continue to provide regular updates.

New Development
The tone of new development and redevelopment makes an important first impression on anyone visiting West Chicago. One key to success is a positive set of programs and procedures for developers interested in West Chicago. In 2001 we streamlined the hearing process. Last year we developed new expedited engineering procedures for larger developments. These procedures feature a pay-as-you go format and extensive use of staff meetings and the Development Committee to clearly communicate the needs of West Chicago to developers. Because every project will have unique requirements, these procedures recognize the need for flexibility.

West Chicago is fortunate to have three state highways pass through the city. These busy highways become natural corridors for new and improved development. In 2002 the city took a number of steps to develop these corridors for the benefit of current and future residents.

The greatest asset for long-term economic growth in the area is the DuPage Technology Park on the airport property south of Roosevelt Road. The city stands ready to insure the highest quality development and we will take an active part to assist with planning and infrastructure improvements. The Tech Park is park of the larger Roosevelt Road corridor. Last year the council approved a comprehensive rezoning of the area to encourage office and retail development. The city is now working with land owners and developers to create an area that will enhance the Tech Park.

The busy intersection at Routes 59 and 64 took a hit when Dominick’s closed their doors even as IDOT finally completed work on the intersection. The city has not remained idle on those important corridors. We have created incentive packages and are using them to attract new businesses. The long-stagnant residential property south of Menard’s has been restarted with fewer but higher quality homes. The Prestonfield subdivision by Concord homes will now have only 211 homes with prices that will generate enough taxes to fully support the expected number of residents. This is the type of construction that retailers who might move to 59 and 64 have frequently requested. Last year also saw new construction of the park and school at Cornerstone Lakes, where the city is working closely with the agencies in charge of those projects.

Downtown Redevelopment
Perhaps the most successful new development is occurring along Main Street from Route 59 to the Wilson Street bridge. In June we completed a landmark agreement with Stoneridge development to completely redo the area by the Metra station. Work began immediately and the first building with about 5,000 square feet of retail space is proceeding towards occupancy this summer. The second building with 18,000 square feet of retail and second-story condominiums will be going up this year. As part of the agreement the Tampico Market is receiving a face lift to create an attractive streetscape.

With the help of Metra the small under-used buildings in front of the train station have been acquired and demolished. The city received a $640,000 CMAQ grant to construct additional commuter parking there and engineering will begin this spring. The city has also made final offers to acquire the remaining single family buildings along 59 on the block. This will free additional land for commercial expansion. To mark this new development the city will be designing a monument for the corner of Main Street and Route 59.

Other areas in and near downtown are continuing to improve as well. Work was completed last year on the Clayton Street alley and parking lot, and we look forward to rehabilitation of the housing there with assistance from the county. The city has a positive attitude towards the historic buildings near the downtown and will continue to work to improve facades and interiors through grants. The Community Affairs committee will have a special responsibility to oversee these activities and community events.

I have served the past year and a half as the co-chair of the steering committee for the possible use of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern railway for commuter service. It was very exciting to attend the announcement by Metra of the Star Line to bring that service through West Chicago in the next decade. As a city we need to begin planning today. We will be working internally and with regional groups to put together our vision for the area where Washington Street intersects the Union Pacific and EJ & E. This is a great opportunity to be proactive on development.

Code Enforcement
In November and December the City Council approved ordinance amendments to improve property maintenance in the city. The first set of changes involved modifications to occupancy regulations. We clarified the definition of a bedroom to require fixed walls and a door to prevent curtained partitions of space. We added restrictions on the use of basements for sleeping to insure that occupants could escape safely in an emergency. We also clarified the rules that exempted children born at a house from occupancy restrictions. The message is that we all must have a safe place to live and sleep.

The second set of changes governed the appearance of property. Unkempt properties bring down the values of neighboring properties in a way that is unfair to those neighbors. We want residents to have ample time to fix damage from storms and normal wear. But we cannot turn a blind eye indefinitely, and the new rules will provide clearer policies for temporary repairs, weeds, and motor vehicles in yards.

The city continues to use the rental inspection program to get landlords to follow the same standards as owners. The city will continue to enforce the program, and conduct periodic reviews by the Public Safety committee. We recognize that issues will arise that were unexpected and as a city we will address any shortcomings in the program.

The driveway program that was adopted in 2001 will also be reviewed this year. The staff has completed its inventory and will make recommendations to the Council to recognize the wide variety of driveways, and the need to keep properties in the most reasonable condition.

Exciting Times
There are many exciting activities awaiting West Chicago this coming year. The Blooming Festival, Railroad Days, and Mexican Heritage all contribute to our quality of life. This year we will also have a special visit in late summer by the fabulous men’s choir from our sister city in Taufkirchen, Germany.

I started my comments by remarking on the uncertainties that may affect us locally. Despite the uncertainty, the city has kept moving forward with development and programs, even as we have greatly reduced the city portion of the property tax for next year.

I am proud that the city, its elected officials, its professional staff and community members are working closely to improve our image and our lives. It is through continued cooperation and communication that I remain excited by the vision of what lies ahead. Thank you.

2003-02-18T17:14:00.000-06:00

Back soon
I’ve been out of town on business the last several days, but I hope to post an update of news stories tomorrow, including the Daily Herald’s coverage of Mayor Fortner’s State of the City address.

2003-02-14T07:30:00.000-06:00

Friday update
I'd planned on saying more about these stories today, but I think I'll celebrate Valentine's Day instead:

Federal case made for Fermilab road | DuPage officials lobby in D.C. (Chicago Tribune)

Security alert | With new threats of terror in the wind, the DuPage Airport Authority Board voted this week to pay $22,000 for a review of security at the West Chicago airfield. (Chicago Tribune)

Aurora man explains how he survived WTC attack | Joe Dittmar addresses students at Community High School (West Chicago Press)

General Mills, school partnership promotes healthy lifestyles | Plant and Turner Elementary School teach children the importance of physical activity (West Chicago Press)

2003-02-14T07:29:00.000-06:00

Not a good day to be a Chevy
A 1990 Chevrolet Cavalier parked outside the Bonar Plastics buliding on Atlantic Drive got its window busted as someone went "shopping" for 100 compact discs and a Discman Tuesday.

That same day, a 1996 Chevrolet Lumina parked on nearby Kings Circle became a bicycle as a thief made off with two tires and their rims.

2003-02-13T14:11:00.000-06:00

Sittin' by the dock of eBay, wasting time
Among the items up for bid at eBay right now are a West Chicago police patch and this undated postcard photo of a West Chicago Parks water wagon:

Please note that I'm not selling either item. I'm just taking note of them.

2003-02-13T12:50:00.000-06:00

U.S. Representative vows to kill STAR Line
U.S. Rep. William O. Lipinski “told Metra leaders the commuter line connecting O’Hare International Airport and Joliet will not get past him,” The Daily Southtown reports today in a story also picked up by the Aurora Beacon News and the Elgin Courier News.

“Faced with rejection, Metra now will consider adding a southern spur to the STAR Line and reviving plans for a Southeast Line from Chicago’s LaSalle Street Station to Crete,” Guy Tridgell writes.

Lipinski says he was particularly hurt that he learned about the proposed commuter rail, which would have a West Chicago station at Washington Street, in a newspaper. “If they are coming to me asking to support a $1 billion plan, they should have come to me before,” he complains.

In a Tribune article, Lipinski even pulls some language from the U.S. Constitution’s definition of treason. “Metra will not be getting any aid or comfort from me until Congressman Jackson has been satisfied,” he says.

Metra officials also met with Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who has also promised to block what he calls “the White Line.” The meeting, the Southtown says, didn’t go well. The Tribune reports “shouts were audible from the next room.”

Today the Metra reps are meeting with Sen. Peter Fitzgerald and Rep. Bobby Rush.

2003-02-13T12:31:00.000-06:00

West Chicago officials won’t be going to conference this year
The Daily Herald has yet another article on West Chicago’s expenses in attending the Illinois Municipal League conference. This time, the paper reports that city aldermen won’t be attending this year due to budget cuts.

“It’s not because of the money spent this year,” city treasurer and council finance committee chair Don Earley tells the paper. “It’s just because of the economic condition the city finds itself in at the present time. ... We just can’t afford it. We have to cut certain areas, and this is one that got cut.”

It’s not just the training budget that’s being cut, says city administrator Michael Guttman. Several staff positions, including one in the police department and the assistant city administrator post, won’t be filled, capital purchases are being placedon hold, and contractual services are either being dropped altogether or brought in-house.

“A lot of plans we made two years ago when the economy was fairly stable are being put on hold,” Earley says.

2003-02-12T16:46:00.000-06:00

Daily Herald makes view official: City spent too much at conference
Apparently the Daily Herald editorial board didn’t think that it was pointed enough in Sunday’s article on West Chicago’s Illinois Municipal League conference tab. Today the paper runs an editorial to drive home its point: “This is a question of judgment and respect. Municipal officials who take advantage of a conference to live life large at public expense send the message that they don’t care about watching every nickel of public money and don’t care what taxpayers think.”

For some towns — and the paper mentions West Chicago repeatedly — “the word conference apparently translates into p-a-r-t-y. ... It is the extravagance that is objectionable. More towns need to figure out how to get value from such opportunities and still do it on a sensible budget," the paper says.

I can't find any letters to the Herald about this story, although I've been told there have been some. Has anyone seen a response from the mayor or from other town officials? If so, send it here, please.

2003-02-12T08:00:00.000-06:00

Bye-bye Warren Warren
Warren C. Warren is retiring as West Chicago's finance director after 24 years, the Daily Herald reports.

"It does seem like a long time," he said. "With every election it's like you're auditioning for a job all over again."

"Warren has a tremendous amount of history and has turned around the finance department since he took over its leadership and has done a fantastic job of forecasting the economy," city administrator Michael Guttman says. He hopes to have a new finance director in place close to Warren's April 1 retirement date.

The Herald also notes that he's not the only longtime city staff member hanging up his hat: public works director Ken Dean and assistant director of community development Mike Baker have also left.

2003-02-12T07:42:00.000-06:00

Distict 303 reacts to possible cuts
From today's Tribune headline and deck, one might think that the paper was running another slightly old report on West Chicago politics by spelunking Deadhead reporter (and Winfield resident) Gary Gibula. Not so. Gibula reported Saturday on the cuts Community Unit School District 303 might have to make if its April 1 referendum fails. This article is actually on yesterday's reaction to those possible cuts at Monday's district board meeting.

“Trying to influence board members to retain orchestra programs in next year's curriculum, elementary and middle school string ensembles serenaded those arriving for the school board meeting Monday evening at St. Charles North High School,” Gibula reports.

“I guess I question their direction and fulfillment of the mission statement,” said parent Mike Moravek, who held a “Save Our Strings” sign.

Parent Sally Gradle was on the other side of the fence. “We support you,” she told board members. “We need to stop the finger-pointing and get the message to the district about what's at stake.”

“I want to make it clear that with a successful referendum we will have the dollars to reinstate all those programs,” district superintendent Fran Kostel told the board. “I don't think there's anyone in this room who wants a reduction in anything, but we have to face some financial realities if we want to open the new schools and maintain an eight-period day.”

Surely this won't be the last story on the referendum before April.

2003-02-11T07:22:00.000-06:00

State freezes funds for DuPage County Technology Park
Gov. Rod Blagojevich has frozen state funding for the DuPage County Technology Park at Roosevelt Road and Fabyan Parkway, the Tribune reports today. The state promised a $34 million, but only about $17 million has arrived so far ($4.25 million of it was spent on upgrading West Chicago’s water and sewer services.) In December, members of the DuPage Airport board voted to ask the state for the balance.

Too late. With a $5 billion budget deficit, Blagojevich is freezing $407 million earmarked for “pet projects” — which the technology park is apparently considered.

The nonprofit corporation developing the park still has $13 million, so it’s not in dire straits, the Tribune reports. But it will be if the state pulls the rest of the money. And it may have short-term consequences as potential tenants consider moving into the park.

Dan Goodwin, airport board chairman and a member of the research park board, says at least two “big-name tenants” are nearing agreement on letters of intent. (He doesn’t name them, but the Trib guesses that one is Argonne National Laboratory.) NASA has already been named one of the park's anchor tenants.

2003-02-11T07:04:00.000-06:00

Did the city spend too much?
West Chicago “spent $12,853.48 in September to send nine town leaders to an Illinois Municipal League conference in Chicago,” the Herald reported Sunday (alt site 1, alt site 2). That’s $1,428 per person.

“Other communities have labeled the seminar unimportant,” says reporter Stacy St. Clair. “While it’s perfectly legal to have the taxpayers pick up the tab for the dinners, drinks and other expenses, the spending comes during weak economic times as private-sector layoffs have caused drops in sales tax and other revenue for local governments.”

But Mayor Michael Fortner disagrees. “Everybody’s there,” he said. “There are panels about municipal issues that are applicable throughout Illinois, and the advantage of this conference is we all have to share the same set of state statutes, so we know the information we get is going to apply to us. … If people want to object to spending money on education training, I would beg to differ.”

West Chicago Treasurer Don Earley predicts, “There will probably be a little hand-wringing, and that's where it will end. But I've been wrong before. I’m glad I didn't go.”

2003-02-11T06:52:00.000-06:00

Daily Herald: St. Charles school board goofed
A Daily Herald editorial criticizes the St. Charles school board for sending staff back to the drawing board in rejiggering the district’s boundaries “in the 11th hour.” The paper doesn’t buy outgoing school board President Steve Cole’s argument that the new school in West Chicago’s Cornerstone Lakes subdivision (and another one in Thornwood) would be too empty under the “modified red” plan.

“Who is to say whether making the best use of two new schools right now or moving the fewest students is the right choice?,” the paper asks. “Clearly, many people will be unhappy with whatever decision is made. But if the board decides to go with the 11th-hour plan, those 51 people who spent eight months of their lives in laborious, sometimes contentious deliberations are going to feel pretty betrayed. What kind of signal does it send when the school board at the last minute discards a well-reasoned plan like this? Not a very good one.”

2003-02-10T18:17:00.000-06:00

Missionaries return
The Daily Herald has a nice story about Wycliffe Bible Translators. The missionary organization is based in Orlando, Florida, but has a West Chicago base. The town, therefore, is the U.S. home of several missionaries and Bible translators, including Chuck and Barb Micheals, who just returned from 18 years in Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea. "We'd lived in a community with few cars, where you could walk every where, and for many years, there was no electricity after 6:30 at night," Chuck told the Herald. "But it was the best thing I've ever done in my life."

2003-02-10T18:06:00.000-06:00

Rochelle Rochelle
STOP-UP can put its placards away for good, it seems. The Tribune ran an article yesterday suggesting that freight train companies are putting their intermodal transfer sites farther away from Chicago — and thus farther way from West Chicago. And in case you ever wondered what happened to those Union Pacific plans to build a transfer point through Clara Street and Washington, the Trib answers it: "Union Pacific found a home for its planned intermodal operation in far-flung Rochelle only after a lengthy, turbulent search that went farther and farther outside of Chicago," James P. Miller writes near the end of his story. "The Omaha company's first choice was a site in West Chicago, but community resistance caused the railroad to drop that bid. That process was repeated in 2000, when the railroad was rebuffed by local forces when it tentatively sought to put its facility in the western Kane County town of Maple Park."

2003-02-10T17:55:00.000-06:00

South suburban mayors threaten STAR Line
"State legislators from the south suburbs threatened Friday to stall Metra's plans to build an all-suburban commuter line from Joliet to O'Hare International Airport, saying their communities are being shortchanged," the Tribune reported Saturday.

"They know that if they don't include something for us we may stop the process," Sen. Debbie Halvorson (D-Crete) said. She's also the main critic quoted in the Sun-Times report on the opposition. "This is about our area getting our fair share," she said. I won't use the word extortion here.

2003-02-10T17:39:00.000-06:00

Hazel Crest School District 152¼?
Hazel Crest School District 152½, no stranger to financial trouble, may be split into two. At least that's the recommendation of Western Illinois University educational administration professor Robert F. Hall.

Hazel Crest officials are opposed. "It would be a disaster," said superintendent Harry Reynolds.

But finance authority member and former West Chicago Elementary District 33 board president Barbara Toney says it might be the only way out. "Given the time constraints and the financial constraints and the need to ensure a smooth transition into next year, I don't see that we have any other options," she tells the Tribune.

2003-02-10T17:28:00.000-06:00

Snipping season
On Friday, I noted District 33’s dire warnings of what will happen if the April 1 referendum to raise taxes 64 cents doesn’t pass. Now it’s District 303’s turn.

District officials say that if its April 1 referendum for a 23-cent tax increase doesn’t pass, it won’t be able to fix a $2.7 million deficit. One-third of high school and middle-school athletic and co-curricular programs would be cut, orchestra would no longer be offered to third- and fourth-graders, class size would increase, kindergarten art, music and physical education courses would be reduced, and the middle school early-bird foreign-language program. (A full list of proposed cuts is available here.)

“These reductions are not recommendations but the actions necessary to balance the budget,” district superintendent Francis Kostel told the Tribune. "This is a sobering reflection of the fiscal reality the district faces."

2003-02-10T17:17:00.000-06:00

The Trib catches up
I’m grateful for deadhead Gary Gibula’s work covering West Chicago for the Tribune, but don’t you think a major daily metropolitan newspaper wouldn’t want to be scooped by a conglomerated local weekly? This weekend, the Tribune printed a story that appeared more than a week ago in the West Chicago Press and Daily Herald. (The Press no longer has its article online, and the Herald’s is only available through sneaky means.)

In case you missed it, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s funding fell through for a low-income senior citizen complex, so a potentially controversial City Council debate was averted.

The news, however, is that the Catholic charity isn’t giving up. “We're not going to abandon the project,” treasurer Norb Crowe tells the Tribune. “We're all volunteers, and we're here to help the poor.” But without the $400,000 grant the group was expecting from the DuPage Housing Authority, the uphill battle just got a lot steeper.

2003-02-10T16:43:00.000-06:00

West Chicago as test market
Perhaps you’ve noticed the Toys ‘R’ Us aisle at the West Chicago Jewel-Osco? It’s one of only five in the Chicagoland area, as part of a market research test. Crain’s Chicago Business says that it’s been a success — 50 percent more toys sold than a year ago. So if it seems like little Bobby was begging more over the last several months, he probably was.

2003-02-10T08:04:00.000-06:00

On the map
Whoo-hoo and hoorah! Wegolb today gets recognized by the king of West Chicago’s online presence, Bob Lemon. His WegoWeb.net site says Wegolb "has the promise of being a place where the people of West Chicago could voice their opinions." But of course you probably knew about his link, since his site is just about the only way you can find Wegolb right now; so far it’s not in any search engines.

If you’re new to the world of weblogging (or blogging), I suggest you read one of these articles from Wired News, The New Yorker, The Weekly Standard, or Rebecca Blood.

2003-02-07T17:39:00.000-06:00

How will District 33 cut $5 million?
With the administration of West Chicago Elementary School District 33 ordering a $5 million budget cut, folks are making priority lists for a board meeting later this month.

"Board members said keeping the same number of school hours was one of their highest priorities because of its impact on the entire community," the Daily Herald reports.

Board member Katrine McGuire explains, "There are concerns from the police department that shortening the school day could impact levels of crime."

The Herald also says the cuts "would mean eliminating 20 percent of the district's workforce and reducing or eliminating exploratory classes, or electives, like physical education and music."

We can expect a wide range of scenarios presented before the April 1 referendum on a 64-cent tax increase, which would, according to the Herald, make "many of the budget cuts unnecessary."

2003-02-07T17:31:00.000-06:00

Still no decision on District 303 boundary changes
"After nearly four hours of discussing proposed boundary scenarios, there was no consensus among St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 Board members Feb. 3 on which scenario is best for the district," the St. Charles Republican reports.

But the summary from the District 303 Boundary Committee is even more journalistically interesting: "District 303's new attendance boundaries still aren't settled after a near-four hour -- and at times, contentious -- special meeting of the Board of Education held Monday, February 3," says the meeting synopsis. Another date has not yet been set for further discussion or a possible decision about the new boundaries, despite administrators' urging that a decision is needed by next week so that work can begin to assign staff for next school year."

There's way too much on this story to digest here, but if you're really interested in this story, check out District 303's boundary scenarios page. For those of you just tuning in, the district is remapping its boundaries because of the new elementary school in West Chicago's Cornerstone Lakes subdivision and another new elementary school in South Elgin.

2003-02-07T17:13:00.000-06:00

Crime report
On Monday, someone stole a 1995 Ford Windstar that was parked on Allen Avenue. Meanwhile, some hooligans spraypainted the Garys Mill Road bridge over the DuPage River.

2003-02-07T17:06:00.000-06:00

New board for WeGo Chamber
The West Chicago Chamber of Commerce and Industry installed its new officers yesterday. Lolly Petusky of the College of DuPage Business and Professional Institute goes from vice president to president. David Sparkman of Keystaff is the new veep. Progress Credit Union's Erin Brown will fill in as secretary. Dan Eichelberger of the State Bank of Illinois is still treasurer. Chuck Strayve of the eponymous Chuck Strayve Landscaping is the chamber's past president. The Daily Herald has more on the chamber's installation banquet.

2003-02-07T16:53:00.000-06:00

No news yet on copter crash
"Federal board investigating helicopter crash," says the West Chicago Press headline, but there's really no news to report. All Todd Fox, a National Transportation Safety Board air safety investigator, had to say was that "Nothing had appeared unusual about [Michael] Russell's flight" when his Augusta 109C helicopter crashed last Tuesday. A preliminary report on the crash of the Air Angels copter was due out this week.

2003-02-06T17:29:00.000-06:00

Fortner whoo-hoos new choo-choo
The West Chicago Press has posted its article on the STAR Line, and it has fresh quotes from West Chicago Mayor Michael Fortner. "It's going to have a great impact on the city," he says. "This could put us in a good position as a transportation hub for the 21st century." (More positive comments from Fortner have been published in the Chicago Tribune and in a Metra press release.)

The Press article finally answers questions about where the new station will be: Metra spokesman Tom Miller says it's where Washington Street crosses the Elgin Joliet & Eastern tracks. (That's apparently right at #43 on this map. The European-style trains will run on the EJ&E tracks about every 15 minutes, Metra says.)

"The area surrounding that site could see redevelopment similar to what took place at the Metra station on the Union Pacific line," the Press paraphrases Fortner as saying. Whether it will mean destroying any residential homes in that area isn't mentioned in the story, but it's sure to be discussed soon.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. attacked the proposed rail link as the "White Line," and called for the resignation of Metra Chairman Jeff Ladd. South suburban mayors are also criticizing the plan.

2003-02-06T16:41:00.000-06:00

Need someone for a job? Any job?
The Kane County Chronicle notes Roberta Tabac's At Your Service personal assistant business, which helps "organize and coordinate any stressful aspects of your work or personal lives." So that includes ... just about everything, for $25 an hour.

"I like to say that I've done some very different things," Tabac, a former executive assistant who worked with Enron, told the Chronicle. "I can free my clients' time, so they can do things they like. Now, they can let me do some of the things that stress them out, while I still keep the variety and flexibility with my schedule that I want. … I would like to get to the point where people can call me with any request possible."

At Your Service's post office box is in Wayne, and she's a member of the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce, but the Chronicle says she's a West Chicago resident, which is why her story is included on Wegolb.

2003-02-06T14:24:00.000-06:00

Bush's budget includes $51 million for Kerr-McGee cleanup
Among the two major Illinois-related items in Bush's federal budget proposal is $51 million for continued thorium cleanup at the West Chicago Kerr-McGee site, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Denny Hastert told the Associated Press.

"The U.S. Department of Energy has determined that the federal government should be responsible for 55.2 percent of the total cleanup costs at the site," the news service adds.

The proposed budget also includes about $52 million for the Metra suburban rail system, but it's unclear if this is for existing lines, or for the two lines that would affect West Chicago: the extention of the Union Pacific West Line from Geneva to Elburn, and the intersuburban STAR line. (See? I said I'd post updates on that story.)

2003-02-06T08:04:00.000-06:00

Commission okays Washington Street historic district
Last night the town's historic preservation commission unanimously recommended that four blocks of East Washington Street be declared a historic district. (I'm unsure of which four blocks it is, but apparently it's at least the section between Sophia St. and Ingalton Ave.) The designation would mean that homeowners would have to get permission from the commission for any renovations or remodeling (they'd also have to get permission from the city's building department, but doesn't everybody?).

"If I have to replace something I have to do it cost-effectively," Richard W. Ham, who lives at 419 E Washington, told The Daily Herald. "This is being real friendly now, but this could turn into San Francisco, where I have friend who lives in a historic district and it's turned real messy between neighbors." But down the street at 215 E. Washington, Keith E. Letsche, who pushed for the designation, dismisses such concerns. "It's like telling yourself scary stories," he said. "There are a lot of things that could happen, but in reality they're not likely to."

Letsche is quite the powerful history buff. He's apparently president of the DuPage County Historical Society board of directors, former chairman of the Prince Crossing Restoration Committee, and helps to organize tours of Chicago's historic "L" stations. He's also an assistant attorney general for the state of Illinois. According to a September 2002 biographical sketch for a seminar (html) on eminent domain, he "supervises four in-house and 75 Special Assistant Attorneys General, overseeing all state agency condemnation actions brought within the Chicago metro area. He also reviews and approves contracts for state agency purchases of real estate within the Chicago metro area."

The recommendation now goes to the city council public affairs committee, then to the city council itself.

2003-02-05T14:14:00.000-06:00

Old news
I hope to cover breaking news for West Chicago from now on, but since I just started today, I've obviously missed a few stories.

One of the most obvious, of course, is the proposed $1.1 billion STAR commuter train line, which would link Joliet and the O'Hare airport with a line running through West Chicago. (Read reports from the Daily Herald (alt site), the Aurora Beacon News, and the Chicago Tribune. A Tribune follow-up quotes Mayor Mike Fortner as saying, "We're very pleased and excited at the possibilities. We're looking to the commuter service to spur redevelopment around the downtown area and at the future technology park." A Daily Herald editorial suggests the STAR line "could the best thing to hit Chicago-area transportation since the 1950s.") The plan also entails upgrading the Union Pacific West line, which runs from Chicago to Geneva.

Then there's the sadder story of the helicopter crash that killed medical pilot Mike Russell. He was working his final shift at an air ambulance service, which, ironically, he had quit over helicopter safety concerns. (Read reports from The Daily Herald (2), the Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune (alt), and Associated Press.)

I'll cover more developments on these stories if and when they happen.

2003-02-05T13:38:00.000-06:00

Crime report
Police have charged 21-year-old Alexandra Feller of Harrison Street, West Chicago, with two counts of forgery. She was arrested at the Fifth Third Bank on County Farm Road in Winfield.

2003-02-05T13:29:00.000-06:00

A sad statement
James McKeon of Hawthorne Lane is quoted in newspapers around the country this week. Unfortunately, it's under very sad circumstances. The heavy equipment mechanic and his 3½-year-old son were visiting the Museum of Science and Industry Saturday just after the explosion of the space shuttle Columbia. "We kind of said a prayer for the astronauts," he told the Associated Press. "I just told him people didn't get to come home."

2003-02-05T12:23:00.000-06:00

Good news, bad news for West Chicago businesses
I'm no financial expert, but if I'm reading this press release correctly, Elgin-based EFC Bancorp announced today that it had a record year in 2002 thanks in part to a successful year by West Chicago information technology consulting/services company Computer Dynamics Group. The banking company purchased Computer Dynamics last January, and apparently reaped $298,000 in revenues over the last year as a result.

Now for the not-so-good financial news. West Chicago-based M-Wave, which makes printed circuit boards, announced a net loss of $5,028,000 in 2002. The company saw a $3,797,000 net profit in 2001. A good chunk of the hit apparently came in the fourth quarter, where the company saw a net loss of $2,047,000, compared to a net profit of $469,000 a year ago.
"2002 was a year of transition for M-Wave," chairman and CEO Joseph A. Turek explains in the press release."We moved our business from the Telecom industry to the Digital Market place. This allowed M-Wave to broaden its base of customers from mainly Lucent Technologies to eleven new contract customers with projected annualized sales of approximately $11,000,000. ... We successfully consolidated the entire operation into our new state of the art West Chicago facility. This allowed an increase of efficiency while optimizing our staffing requirements."

2003-02-05T11:37:00.000-06:00

Three City Council candidates thrown off ballot
Poor Donna Santiago. Yesterday, the city's electoral review panel kicked her off the April 1 City Council election ballot because her petition was one signature short. She would have been at least one John Hancock over what she needed, the Daily Herald reports, but her husband and daughter's names were dropped because they weren't registered to vote when they signed. (Santiago, who is allowed to register voters, says the two did register before they signed, but she was sick and couldn't file the registrations before yesterday's meeting. She was running for Ward 3.)

Sandy Dimas, running for Ward 7's seat on the council, was removed from the ballot because she was registered to vote in a different ward. (Here's the new ward map, if you haven't seen it already.) But she's still running hard for the seat. "I'm probably more determined than ever," she told the Herald.

Ruben Vigil, who wasn't at the panel meeting, was bumped from being listed as a Ward 1 candidate because his petition pages weren't numbered. He says there are "too many objections to overcome" in running.
Bessie Karegianes's candidacy was also challenged, but the panel said enough signatures on her petition were valid to put her on the ballot for the Ward 7 seat.

"I'm not happy when candidates are thrown off the ballot," City Clerk Nancy Smith, who sits on the panel, said. "A lot of this process is good faith, and candidates are doing things with the best interest of their neighbors at heart."

There's no word if Vigil, Santiago, or Dimas plan to appeal within the 10-day window. (If the link no longer works, try here.)

2003-02-05T11:09:00.000-06:00

The requisite first post
More than a century ago, the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern railroad promoted what is now West Chicago, Illinois (back then it was the village of Turner), as a town with "electric lights, asphalt sidewalks, two wide-awake newspapers, fine schools, prosperous churches, good society and numerous flourishing factories that are bringing it to the front ranks as a manufacturing point." (The quote appears on several West Chicago history websites.)

Now not even the West Chicago Press is published in West Chicago. But many online newspapers offer news about the town, including newspaper websites (such as those for the Chicago Tribune, the Daily Herald, and the West Chicago Press). And then there are great websites like Bob Lemon's WegoWeb.net also offering news and commentary.

This weblog, then, is simply an effort to compile all the published news about West Chicago. I don't think it will offer original reporting, and for now I don't even plan on offering any commentary. But all that might change, given the right circumstances. And I'm open to feedback, both on the news and on the blog. Enjoy.