Around and About in West Chicago - 19 June 2008

     Since children are out of school for summer vacation, drivers are reminded to drive more carefully. Although persons are to heed the speed limits on residential streets all the time, they especially must understand the importance of doing so when more youths are playing outside. Mayor Michael Kwasman said, “Drivers must proceed with caution. If there is a ball rolling in the street, a child probably is chasing it.”

     Parents also have the responsibility of teaching their children to use caution when crossing the streets and, when bicycling, to obey the Rules of the Road. It is very important to come to a complete stop at a STOP sign and, not just look to the right and left and then coast through. Remember to wear helmets when bicycling. Forego text messaging and cell phone chats and just take the time to view the delightful scenes of summer.

     Combining lots of caution and common sense are the perfect ingredients for a safe and happy summer season. ENJOY!

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AROUND AND ABOUT

     Coffee with the Mayor is from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, June 21, at City Hall.

     Eagle Scout Troop 32 is having a blood drive for LifeSource Blood Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, June 22, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 140 N. Oakwood Ave. A photo ID is required. Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome. Donors receive an I-donate baseball cap. To schedule an appointment, call Jack McCormack at (630) 876-9215.

     The Missions Ministry of First United Methodist Church/First Congregational Church sponsor an Ice Cream Social following the 10 a.m. worship service, Sunday, June 22, at the Methodist Church, 643 E. Washington St. Choice of toppings for the vanilla and chocolate ice cream include fresh strawberries, sprinkles and pecans, plus homemade brownies. The price is $5.

     The Garden Club Meeting is Thursday, June 26, at Faith Community Church, 910 Main St. Sharing time is at 6:45 p.m. with a brief business meeting at 7:15 p.m. and the program at 7:30 p.m. West Chicago resident Lou Horton discusses underused ornamental trees.

     Court Appointed Special Advocates of DuPage County is holding an information night for advocate training at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 26, in the Fox Community Center, 306 Main St. Volunteer advocates speak for the abused, neglected and dependent children in the county’s juvenile and family court system. CASA Executive Director Kay Hedeen said, “No special skills are required. The minimum age is 21 and individuals should be caring and compassionate, have the ability to remain objective and possess some basic PC computer skills.” Other requisites include having the capability to attend juvenile court hearings, which generally are on Tuesday mornings. “The average hours ‘recorded’ by our volunteers vary between five to seven hours a month, which includes visiting time, note taking, report writing, telephone conversations and court appearances,” explained Hedeen. Other requirements for volunteers involve completing 30 hours of pre-service training and three hours of court observation. The five-week training session begins Monday, Sept. 15, in Oak Brook. Prior to training, volunteers must participate in a personal interview, provide three personal references and successfully complete fingerprint, criminal and the Child Abuse and Neglect Training System background checks. There also is a $75 fee to offset the cost of training materials. “The volunteers provide powerless children with powerful friends.” For more information, call Ruth at (630) 221-0889, Ext. 306.

     Ryan Scheck is the high school Student of the Month for June. He has been active in sports, participating in indoor track for three seasons and outdoor track the past two seasons. He was elected captain his senior year and Athlete of the week. For four years, Scheck played golf and in his senior year served as captain, earning all-conference and academic all-conference. Maintaining a 4.0 grade point average in all AP and enriched classes, he also was involved in the Math Team and Aviation Club. In his junior year, Scheck was elected into the National Honor Society. He is an Illinois State Scholar and a recipient of the Prairie State Achievement Award. He will be attending Purdue University and majoring in Professional Flight technology with a minor in Meteorology and/or Spanish.

     The 15th Annual Fine Arts Fiesta takes place July 11, 12 and 13 in the Scout Cabin at Reed-Keppler Park. There are some changes in categories this year. In place of the amateur and professional categories, there now are two fine arts categories. These are Fine Arts: Photography, and Fine Arts: sculpture and all other two-dimensional works. Crafts and Student Arts categories remain the same. Exhibitors must have a West Chicago connection. These include students and adults who live, work or have attended school within Community High School’s District 94 boundaries or have a West Chicago mailing address or zip code. The entry fee is $5 for each piece with a limit of two works per artist. The winners in each category of the Peoples Choice Awards receive monetary prizes. First prize is $50, 2nd prize is $30, and 3rd prize is $20. Registration forms are available at the City Museum 132 Main St. For further information, call the Museum at (630) 231-3376.

     On a smaller scale is the Gallery 200 “Picture This,” kid’s photo contest open to youths from 1st through 8th grade. The theme is “People, Places and Things.” Forms are available at the Gallery. Entries are due by Wednesday, July 16. For further information, call the Gallery at (630) 293-9550.

     The Railroad Days Parade is Sunday, July 13. The theme is “The Sky’s the Limit.” Entry forms, Railroad days schedule and entertainment are available on the chamber’s Web site www.westchicagochamber.com or call the chamber office at (630) 231-3003 for information.

     Have you seen some people with cameras in different parts of our town and wondering who they are? They are students in College of DuPage Documentary Photography class. Their teacher is West Chicago resident Glenn Hansen. “This is the second summer we have been in West Chicago focusing on buildings, businesses and people,” he said. “We are creating a sense of the place plus getting a historical perspective. When the project is completed, Hansen would like to have a special show to display the photographs. Petra Martens, a student in the class, teaches a photography class for the New Comers Club in Naperville. We moved here from the Netherlands several years ago and photography is a good way to learn about the people.” Another student from Glen Ellyn said he was very impressed with West Chicago. “There is more to this town than you expect—impressive historic homes, lovely gardens and a good mix of businesses.”

     Sometime between Wednesday, June 11, and Thursday, June 12, the flagpole at the Kruse House Museum, 527 Main St., was cut down. The flagpole had a special meaning to historical society members since it was dedicated as a memorial to Earl Neumann, who died in July 2001. Neumann was a founding father of the West Chicago Historical Society. Historical Society Secretary Joan Conkright said, “Whoever did it left the pole and the flag laying on the ground.” Persons with information on the damage should notify any patrolman or call 911 to have the information added to the report. Police Chief Donald Goncher said, “Thieves are stealing flagpoles for the aluminum.”

     At the June 2 meeting, City Council approved a resolution to authorize the mayor to execute a Local Agency/State agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation for a FY 2008 Member Initiative Pedestrian Underpass project. Through the efforts of Mayor Kwasman and State Rep. Michael Fortner (95-R-West Chicago), the city was awarded $125,000 from the State Road Fund to perform necessary safety improvements to the Union Pacific underpass located adjacent to Turner Court. Public Works Director Rob Flatter said, “With that money we will hire an engineering consulting firm to evaluate and make recommendations. From there we will move to construction. We have five years to complete the project.” Mayor Kwasman explained, “The underpass itself is safe, with the project involving mainly maintenance such as whitening and waterproofing. ”

     Miguel’s Barber Shop has moved to 223 Turner Court.

     Joe Kreidl was reappointed as an alternate member to the Building Board of Appeals through April 30, 2009.