Around and About in West Chicago - 20 Feb 2008

     It was with mixed emotions that Ward 2 Alderman Greg Kauth submitted his letter of resignation at the Feb. 18 City Council meeting. With his promotion to shipping manager at General Electric, Kauth is being transferred to Houston, Texas. “I cannot pass up the opportunity. Leaving West Chicago was a difficult and arduous decision to make,” he wrote. He and his wife, Alison Chapin, moved here 10 years ago, becoming involved with the community through organizations and attendance at many events.

     Kauth was elected alderman in 2003. In addition to serving on the Development and Finance Committees, he was a member of the Community Affairs Committee and elected chairman in 2004. “Chairing this committee was a highlight of my time as alderman,” he said.

     City Museum Director LuAnn Bombard said, “He was a very good chairman—always prepared and making certain committee members were well-informed. He has been a very involved person and helpful to our staff” She added, “Greg has been supportive of the arts, attending special exhibits and events at the City Museum and Gallery 200.”

     As an alderman, positive experiences included “the opening of the water treatment plant, seeing the start of the Tech Park, defeating the construction of a second waste transfer station, working with the great city staff and getting a stop sign on Stimmel and Weyrauch,” Kauth said.

     However, there also were challenges. These involved the union strike by some of the city employees, Railroad Days and the on-going Tronix (Kerr-McGee) issues he explained

     To Kauth “The best part of the job was talking to all the people in the 2nd Ward. What I found was people are more interested in what is happening in the City than I had originally thought. Meeting the majority of the residents face to face was a very enjoyable experience, which makes leaving all the more difficult.”

     Mayor Michael Kwasman said Greg has been a dedicated elected official. “It is always hard to say good bye, especially to a friend. We thank you for you valuable service. Remember West Chicago always is your home.”

     “Greg and Alison are big hearted and care for the community,” said Ward 1 Alderman Jim Beifuss. “Greg participated in so many activities. He cared about the people and the community, making West Chicago a better place to live.” Kauth said, “The people of West Chicago have shown me that getting involved in the community makes it a better place to live.”

     Participating in the various events was a highlight for Alison and Greg. “We are going to miss Main Street, the Museum, the train station, Railroad Days, Sister Cities, and the list goes on,” he stated. “Most of all we will miss this little town of big-hearted people who let us spend some of the best years of our lives in this special place.”

AROUND AND ABOUT

     All District Family Night is 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26 at West Chicago Middle School, 238 E. Hazel St. Main dish and drinks are provided. Bring a dish to pass. Activities are provided for the entire family. Babysitting is available for children not yet in preschool. To register, call Sue Cox at (630) 293-6000, Ext. 231.

     The Garden Club meets Thursday, Feb. 28, at Faith Community Church, 910 Main St. Sharing time is at 6:45 p.m., a brief business meeting is at 7:15 p.m., followed by the program at 7:30 p.m. Shirley Remes presents the program, “Adding Individuality to Front Yard Gardens.” Remes, a former West Chicago resident, is a garden writer, author, speaker and stylist. She is a field editor for “Better Homes and Gardens” and contributes gardening stories to Chicago Sun-Times real estate section, Organic Gardening. Other publications include Chicago Tribune, Chicagoland Gardening, Country Sampler and Kane County Chronicle. Meetings are open to the public.

     Wheaton Academy Spring musical is “My Fair Lady.” Performances are at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 29, Saturday, March 1, Thursday, March 6, and Saturday, March 8, in the Fine Arts Building, 900 Prince Crossing Road. The ticket price is $10, which includes dessert during intermission. The benefit performance is at 7 p.m. Friday, March 7. Tickets for this are $25, include appetizers and dessert during intermission and benefit the 25 percent of the school’s students who receive financial aid. To reserve tickets or for more information, call the theater hotline at (630) 562-7500, Ext. 7350.

     The fourth annual Bowling For Diabetes, sponsored by Sons of the American Legion Post 300 is from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 29, at Bowling Green Center. Proceeds benefit the American Diabetes Association. For further information, call (630) 231-3181.

     The Lions Club’s annual Spring Pancake Breakfast is from 7 a.m. to noon Sunday, March 2, at the Middle School.

     The second annual West Chicago Wildcat Classic 3-on-3 Open Basketball Tournament takes place Saturday, March 8. A new addition is the youth and adult Wheelchair division. The tournament is open to players in 5th grade through to the 40 and Over Senior Division. Teams consist of three to four players in age divisions of 5th and 6th grade, 7th and 8th grade, 9th and 10th grade and 11th and 12th grade. The school age divisions are separated into boys and girls teams. The fee for school-age teams is $60. Other divisions are Men’s, Women’s, Senior Citizens and Opens. The fee for these teams is $80. The fee for wheel chair player teams is $60. Players receive a Wildcat Classic t-shirt and each division champion team receives a trophy. The Community High School is organizing the event under the direction of Butch Hansen, retired high school athletic director, and Wayne Sills, a Winfield business executive. The monies raised benefit the foundation to continue to promote excellence at the school through grants to student groups and programs for the enrichment of the students’ educational experience. Sponsoring the event is NorthStar Credit Union. Advertised sponsorships also are available. To download a registration or sponsorship form, go the high school’s Web site www.d94.org, click on the link to 3-on-3-basketball form. Mail it to Community High School, CHS Education Foundation, 326 Joliet St., West Chicago, IL 60185. Persons also may call Hansen at (630) 653-0091 to request a form. The registration deadline is Friday, Feb. 29.

     The third annual We Grow Dreams, Inc. Bowl-A-Thon is Sunday March 9, at Brunswick Zone, 1555 W. 75th St. in Woodridge. Registration and check in begins at 1 p.m. and bowling starts at 2 p.m. Participants bowl three games, with prizes awarded for various levels of achievement. A raffle also takes place. Lane sponsors are available. For participation and sponsorship information, visit the Web site, www.wegrowdreams.org or call Joanne Schubert at (630) 960-3463. Registration forms must be submitted by Saturday, March 1. Proceeds benefit the We Grow Dreams Greenhouse & Garden Center, a not-for-profit business providing an innovative approach to job training and employment for people with disabilities.  Plans include updating the facilities and continuing to fund programs and services.

     Brad Hevron, principal at Indian Knoll School, was featured in the “Meet the principal” series in the Daily Herald’s Tuesday, Feb. 12 issue.

     West Chicago resident Phil Weibler is the featured photographer for the Burlington Route Historical Society’s 2008 calendar. The color photographs of trains, highlighted by brief descriptions, capture both the magnificence and history of the trains. The historic calendar track starts with a photo of Weibler, at age 17, sitting at the controls of a locomotive. His interest in trains and photography began when he was in grade school. Weibler’s first photograph was published in the January 1953 issue of “Trains.” Upon graduation from the University of Illinois in 1960, he went to work for the mechanical department of the Rock Island Lines. In 1972 he started with the C&NW and in 1975 he was qualified as a locomotive engineer. He worked the commuter, way freight, the freight and switcher assignment of Chicago-Proviso-West Chicago-Belvedere-Nelson and Sterling until his retirement in 1999. The 1997 BRHS calendar featured his black and white photographs. Other venues include one-man shows of his photographs in Quincy, Milwaukee and West Chicago, magazines, books and slide show presentations. To order the calendar, send $12.75 to Burlington Route Historical Society, c/o Richard Morgan-Fine, P.O. Box 107. Clarinda, IA 51632.

     Through an investment of $10 million, Jel Sert is expanding its business operations here. The project is supported by industrial revenue bonds issued by the Illinois Finance Authority. The monies have helped purchase new machinery for the production of the milk-flavored straws “Sipahh,” explained Juan Chavez, Vice President of Human Resources. He added the company started on this project last year and has led to the hiring of more employees, which could total up to 300 more jobs. The expansion is an on-going project, which could lead to a three-shift operation in a couple of years.

     At the Feb. 4 meeting, City Council passed an ordinance to increase the fair market value of residential use land from $125,000 per acre to $150,000 per acre, continue to use a blended number for commercial and industrial land, increasing the fair market value of non-residential use land from $190,000 per acre to $230,000 per acre, and increase the library contribution from $500 per acre to $600 per acre.

     To begin to fund the improvement to the Wastewater Treatment Plant, an ordinance was passed to increase the water and sewer bill in each of the next two years, with changes that would result in about $60 per year increase to the average homeowner. Also the council voted to increase the hotel tax from one percent to 5 percent. The rate had not been changed since it was first established in 1986. The new rate reflects what surrounding communities are charging. Once the third Metra parking lot is open to the public, the daily charge will increase from $1 to $1.25.

     One of the provisions of the new teen driving law legislation that went into effect Jan. 1 of this year “requires student drivers to complete a minimum of six hours of actual, on-the-street driving with a certified driver education instructor.” A main component of the provision removes current exemptions of allowing the use of driving simulators and driving ranges. The mandate, at this time unfunded, could mean the hiring of more teachers to fulfill this provision. Dr. Lee Rieck, Superintendent of our high school district, said, “There is little, if any possibility that teachers would be added to provide the additional instruction. With the reductions we have had in core subject areas, these would be the first areas to add staff, if any was to be added.” He further explained that it was not only the cost of teachers, but cars, gasoline, insurance and other factors that increase the total cost of this provision. To meet the added expense of the requirement, Rieck said, “It would simply mean that fewer, around 90, students could be served behind the wheel each year.” With the provision taking effect July 1, the district is making several waiver requests through the Illinois State Board of Education. Rieck expects at least one to be approved. “The current fee is $250 per student and we are requesting it to increase to $300.” State Rep. Michael Fortner (R-95th-WC) explained that by state law a waiver is required to increase the fees for drivers education in schools. The second waiver is to allow the school to use the simulators for a portion of the wheel instruction. “This one is less likely to be granted because the law is new. We will know in a couple of months. Want to make certain your views are heard? State Rep. Randy Ramey (R-55th-WC) is conducting a legislative survey on his Web site www.randyramey.org.

My e-mail is merleburl@earthlink.net.