Press Releases/Announcements from local sources
West
ChicagoHigh School
"Twelve students from Community High School in West Chicago competed at the 2007 National Leadership Conference for the Future Business Leaders of America. This conference was held in Chicago from June 28th – July 1st, 2007. Over 7,200 students and advisers attended the conference with hundreds of students competing in each event."
ElementaryDistrict 33
"Please join us for a public Forum on Wednesday, August 15 at 7:00 PM in the Learning Center at West Chicago Middle School, 238 E. Hazel Street, West Chicago. Forum topics include class size and bilingual education. This is an opportunity to dialogue with administration and the board of education. "
[The easy way to get to referenced items by Dr. Leman is to click Class Size or Bilingual Education . - Bob]
West
Chicago night out your chance to meet cartoon stars"The three will greet fans in the west parking lot at West Chicago Community High School from 6:30-8 p.m. on Aug. 7. The special appearances will help promote National Night Out, an annual campaign for police and community partnerships."
Sen
Durbin"What will be important now will be rapid deployment of these forces and multilateral efforts to hold Sudan accountable. We must also work to engage the various factions in Sudan in a political settlement that will bring long term stability to region.”
Sen.
Obama"As more Americans lose their health insurance everyday, CHIP has provided 6 million uninsured children with the health care they need, and encouraged states like Illinois to build on its success and expand health coverage even further. The reauthorization bill before the Senate would expand coverage to reach an additional 3.2 million children."
"Citizens in many states have taken matters into their own hands, moving to divest their pension funds of companies that support Iran's oil and gas industry, which provides the revenue Iran uses to pursue nuclear weapons and sponsor terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas.”
GovernorBlagojevich
Illinois’
strong bipartisan push to bring FutureGen to Illinois“We’ve been making the investments that have made Illinois a national leader in clean coal technology, which are opening up new markets for our coal, creating new jobs and making us more energy independent, and that is what FutureGen is all about and why it belongs here."
Cable
ComChannel 17
"This week, CableCom Channel 17 proudly presents Christmas in August. Watch a few programs from the Winter season and escape the heat and humidity. If you haven't already, catch the rebroadcast of the latest city council meeting to stay on top of what's going on in West Chicago."
Rep
Fortner
Fortner,
Meyer & Coladipietro Honor 10 Eagle Scouts on House Floor"Ten eagle scouts from Boy Scout Troop 34 were awarded certificates and honored on the House Floor by their local state representatives, State Representatives Franco Copadipietro, Mike Fortner and Jim Meyer."
Sen
Durbin"To date, $13 million has been appropriated for the EJ&E Bridge, which is hit by marine vessels more often than any other bridge in America. Repair of the bridge is a priority for the United States Coast Guard."
Sen.
Obama"The Obama campaign announced the launch of a student steering committee composed of more than 100 current leaders of the College Democrats of America who will act as student advisors on college grassroots outreach."
"If we are serious about having real change in this country, then we have to start putting America's interests ahead of the special interests that are blocking our efforts to create universal health care, an energy policy that focuses on renewable fuels, and rural investment,"
Obama's
Down on the Farm - New York Times“Although there are an awful lot of farms in Illinois, in the neighborhood where I live, the main livestock is squirrels,” said Mr. Obama, who lives on Chicago’s South Side. “So I don’t pretend to know everything there is to know about agricultural issues.”
GovernorBlagojevich
"The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) today closed the sale of $1.38 billion in student loans to two not-for-profit agencies. The transaction will help ISAC pay down its debt, exit the increasingly unprofitable business of holding loans made to non-Illinois students, and focus on making college more affordable for Illinois students."
"They are both West Chicago firefighters and they cook for their shift at the firehouse, where they perfected their recipe. “You can leave the chili on the stove, go on a call, come back and it’s still cooking, it’s still good” Hamlin said. “Even though we got up about 5 a.m. today, it’s fun to compete. It’s like a tailgate party,” Nelson said. “And it’s for a good cause.”
Sen
Durbin
CNN
and Durbin Open the Windows - Huffington Post "The fresh air of creative citizen participation is starting to blow into Presidential politics through the window CNN opened. And this week, we have an opportunity to open the window in telecommunications as well. Senator Dick Durbin is conducting a series of discussions on OpenLeft.com to make policy by talking to citizens."
Rep
Fortner"State Rep. Mike Fortner of West Chicago, one of three state lawmakers joining Norquist in a panel discussion, agreed with Norquist that during his current freshman term as a state representative, he was surprised to learn firsthand how little accountability there is in the state budget making process."
"Additionally, Kuwait was the only country bordering Iraq that staged U.S. troops before the invasion. President Bush ordered 100,000 troops to Kuwait to be "ready to conduct an operation" in February 2003; subsequently, some have alleged the contract may be a reward for Kuwait's pre-war support. "
Fight
over kids health program heats up"Rep. Dennis Hastert of Illinois sat amid his Republican colleagues on the minority side of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's hearing room as he slammed a Democratic measure to provide government health insurance for 11 million children."
"Oberweis, of Aurora, lost U.S. Senate bids in 2002 and 2004. In 2006, he lost a GOP primary bid for governor and came under criticism for using TV ads that featured the nameplates of real newspapers but used doctored headlines. The dairy is now running TV ads in the Chicago area that feature Oberweis, who is weighing a bid for the congressional seat now held by former House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Plano."
Sen
Durbin"For four nights, beginning Tuesday on Matt Stoller's blog OpenLeft.com, Sen. Durbin will engage in a frank conversation with site visitors. According to the senator, this process will help him draft broadband legislation to be introduced this session."
New
Farm Bill Plan Introduced by Senators - Hoosier Ag Today -
Clermont,IN"American Farmland Trust worked with Senators Durbin and Brown as well as the National Corn Growers Association to develop the revenue-based protection program included in the Act. Because it adjusts with the market - rather than politically set target prices and loan rates - Grossi says the safety net better protects farmers when they need help."
"Through it all, the debate has sometimes been heated, but mostly civil. Durbin himself has entered the fray -- on Tuesday night, he stayed online longer than his scheduled 45 minutes, said Matt Stoller, a liberal activist, blogger, and cofounder of OpenLeft.com. "He ended up staying for an hour and a half because he liked it," Stoller said."
Sen.
Obama"When asked about the curious timing of summoning reporters on a summertime Saturday afternoon, Mr. Vilsack dismissed suggestions that the Clinton campaign was worried about the remarks of Mr. Obama. (During three campaign stops in the state, he wove the story into his remarks, but he did so without mentioning Mrs. Clinton’s name.)"
"David Martinez Villareal, 23, has been in custody on lesser charges since the attack Jan. 9, 2006. A grand jury also indicted him Thursday on first-degree murder. Mireille Ellberg, 72, died March 1 in the hospital, nearly 14 months after an assailant beat and ran her over while fleeing in the couple’s pickup truck."
"David Martinez-Villareal, 23, being held on $2 million bail at the DuPage County Jail, had been charged with attempted first-degree murder for allegedly driving over the West Chicago woman's head and shoulder and beating her husband on Jan. 8, 2006, as they fed birds outside an apartment complex, authorities said."
"Saying she was struck in the head by an errant golf ball while gardening in her back yard, a West Chicago woman is suing a golf course and the Naperville golfer who is alleged to have hit her."
Sen
Durbin
Sen.
Obama
"The amendment that was included in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations bill that the Senate approved last night, was in response to revelations that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) decided against testing occupied trailers for high levels of formaldehyde in FEMA-provided trailers, despite complaints since March 2006 from hurricane victims living in them."
"“Working Americans don’t get a free pass if they are unable to pay their taxes when they are due, and corporations shouldn’t either. This amendment will ensure that corporations that receive taxpayer funding play by the rules, and it will increase transparency and accountability over how our money is spent.”"
"In the coming weeks, members of my rural policy committee will be traveling the state to hear your ideas and insights as we develop our policies on the issues affecting rural America. Then, next month, I'm hosting a rural summit focusing on economic development and quality of life, agriculture, and renewable energy."
"The ADA declared that people with disabilities are welcome throughout American society. The ADA assumed, rather than doubted, that people with disabilities can be productive workers contributing to our economy and the support of their families."
Army's
'Debt Of Service' Leaves Vets Perplexed - wcbstv.com - New
York"Former Army Specialist Rodriguez started getting bills for $700 for lost or damaged government property this summer. Although he was discharged some four years ago, bills recently arrived demanding payment, but giving no details on what or why -- nor do they offer a way to dispute the charges."
Carol
Stream trustee sets sights on county board"Fenner, the senior member of the Carol Stream village board and Wayne Township GOP precinct committeeman, said she got the OK from party leaders to run when longtime District 6 board member incumbent member Pamela Rion decided not to pursue another term."
Sen
Durbin
Durbin,
Hagel Reintroduce Bill to Increase Public Health Workforce“Highly qualified health professionals are a critical part of our nation's public health workforce,” Durbin said. “This bill provides the needed incentives to recruit and retain these vital workers by offering scholarships and loan repayment programs."
Asbestos
Levels and Safety of Illinois Beach State Park“Millions of visitors enjoy the shores of Lake Michigan, and specifically the beaches at Illinois Beach State Park, every year. I want a clear understanding about any potential threats of asbestos there.”
Sen.
Obama"The need for these laws is clear," said Senator Obama. "Iran uses the revenue it generates from its energy sector to finance its pursuit of nuclear weapons and support for terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. Along with a sustained diplomatic effort and toughened multilateral sanctions on Iran, divestment is a useful tool that state and local governments can use to increase economic pressure to persuade Iran to end its dangerous policies."
Rep
Hastert"Abuses like these have caused funding shortfalls in some states and it has to stop. My home state of Illinois is one of the biggest shortfall states in the country. There is not nearly enough money to cover the cost of the program in Illinois."
Does
Memo to Hastert Nail Gonzales Coffin?"The AP reports that a four-page memo sent by then-National Intelligence Director John Negroponte in May 2006 confirms that a March 2004 White House intelligence briefing for top congressional leaders was on “the Terrorist Surveillance Program.”"
[Review of Hastert's website shows no response at this time. - Bob]
"The memo, dated May 17, 2006, and addressed to then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert, details "the classification of the dates, locations, and names of members of Congress who attended briefings on the Terrorist Surveillance Program," wrote then-Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte."
Rep Peter Roskam"Last week, Republican U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam urged the FAA and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a thorough study to examine the risks of exposure to toxic substances during the proposed demolition. Roskam called Wednesday’s ruling a “step in the right direction.”"
Merle
Berle- Santo Maria's Italiano Ristorante's Third Anniversary
- Featured Artist Joanne Kalchbrenner
- National Night Out Against Crime and Drugs
- Fourth Annual We Go Calypso
- New Gloria's Jewelry
- Shawn
Fair
hits first bump in road to West Chicago "In a icy letter last week, West Chicago Mayor Mike Kwasman chastised county, fair and airport officials for excluding the city from a meeting to discuss relocating the fair to the airport, located in West Chicago."
Tim
Kanold Retires from Stevenson"He later taught at Illinois State University in Normal and West Chicago High School before coming to Stevenson in 1986 to direct the school’s math and science departments."
[Myself, I will always associate Tim with his annual talk advocating the metric system at the ICTM convention. Tim almost single handedly made WCHS a farm team for Stevenson. . - Bob]
Sen
Durbin
Durbin
Statement on Senate Efforts to Support Nation's Veterans
“We've promised these brave men and women that if they take an oath to defend America, we'll stand by them when they come home. Sadly our government has not lived up to that promise. Today, with passage of this bill, we are changing that. "
"The current program wastes taxpayer dollars, doesn’t enhance farmer profitability and makes commodity programs hard to defend. If market price isn’t the only factor that affects what a farmer makes, it shouldn’t be the only factor on which we base commodity calculations. This bill recalculates the way we allocate funding to correct program inefficiencies and target farmers in need.”
Sen.
ObamaObama
Introduces Bill to Strengthen Emergency Medical Care Systems“Our nation’s emergency departments are overburdened and ill-equipped to respond to the public health crises we must be prepared to face,” said Senator Obama. “This bill will ensure our emergency rooms, medical personnel and response teams have streamlined communications systems, real time data, and other coordination tools."
Rep Peter Roskam“Estimates of the current backlog for processing basic criminal evidence numbers more than 500,000 requests, slowing down the process of criminal investigations. Increased capacity for crime labs, such as the DuPage County Crime Laboratory in my district, is vital as the demand for criminal forensic lab services increases.”
GovernorBlagojevich
Free
Resume Posting for Hastert EmployeesGiven rumors of the former Speaker's impending retirement, current office employees of Representative Dennis Hastert are cordially invited to provide copies of their resumes, in machine readable format, for posting at this site. Hey, 500 to 1000 readers can't hurt.
Rare
Bipartisan Tag Team Takes On Wisconsin House Veteran“You’re going to see that campaigning you’ve always wanted and deserved. It’s going to be clean, it’s going to be substantive, it’s going to be free of big money influences,” Burkee said. “It’s going to be, I think, the kind of campaign our founders expected.”
Rep
Fortner"State Representative Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago) announced today that the General Assembly has negotiated a $1 billion electric rate relief plan for Ameren & ComEd customers. Some highlights from the rate relief proposal include; $500 million designated specifically for ComEd customers, eliminates the use of the reverse auction, phases in the 2007 increase over 3 years to give customers more time to absorb the rate increase and creates a new state agency that will use a request for proposal process to purchase power for ComEd and Ameren – resulting in direct negotiation with a bidder to get the best price"
Environmental
battleground over fen"About 40 percent of the 200 acres in question drains into the West Branch Forest Preserve and into the fen, district natural resources staff calculated. District experts say if the property is annexed and developed as homes with 9,000-square-foot lots, runoff from newly paved surfaces containing road salt, gasoline and lawn chemicals will hurt the fen’s ecosystem as well as aquatic life in the river."
West
Chicago taking law into own hands "As a home rule municipality, West Chicago has the right to set up the new system. If the ordinance is passed by the city council, the court would oversee compliance with city property maintenance, building, zoning, and parking code."
"At about 6:45 a.m. Thursday, Hindle got out of his car and approached the pair, who were fueling their landscaping equipment at a gas station at North Avenue and County Farm Road, near West Chicago. Hindle began yelling racial slurs at the men, ... The words soon led to a physical assault that sent one of the Hispanic men to the hospital, the state’s attorney’s office said.
"Members such as Emily Laffey, 16, of West Chicago, take part in the activities offered by 4-H, but concentrate much of their effort on the horses. For Emily, 4-H and county fairs are a family tradition that date back to her grandmother’s childhood."
District
94 OKs teachers’ contracts: New four-year agreement awaits signing"“I think it’s what we were hoping for,” Reyes said of the four-year term. “They wanted to see something a little longer than what we settled for last year. Under the agreement, teachers will receive a 3.373 percent salary increase for the first year and a 3.15 percent increase each year afterward."
"Police arrested Matthew Slaughter, 18, of Geneva; Jessica Legan, 17, of St. Charles; and a 16-year-old juvenile for several incidents that took place in St. Charles and West Chicago between July 12 and July 14,"
Sen
DurbinDurbin
Comments on Bipartisan Meeting With BP President“Lake Michigan is not just another body of water - it is a treasure to be protected. It is a source of drinking water for millions of families. We hope that it is in this spirit that BP will reevaluate their plans and present us with them when we meet again in September."
Sen.
Obama
“Today, America’s lowest paid workers will receive their first raise in ten years. This increase was long overdue. We stood up to corporate special interests that wanted to deny hard working Americans the basic dignity of a small increase in pay."
Rep
Hastert"Columnist Robert Novak recently wrote that Hastert might not even complete his current term before retiring. Democratic Party strategists have targeted Hastert’s northern Illinois district, noting that his popularity has fallen along with that of President Bush and the war in Iraq. During his tenure as speaker, Hastert was a key ally of the Bush administration. Democrats believe that makes him particularly vulnerable in 2008."
"Congressman Dennis Hastert, R-14, said there are some perks he enjoys about no longer being Speaker of the House, such as spending the Fourth of July with his family. “Things have chang-ed,” Hastert said to a crowd of about 700 people. “I think things really do change for the better.”"
Rep Peter RoskamSTOP
DUMPING IN OUR DRINKING WATER“I strongly support the need for increased domestic energy production, however it must not come at the peril of our drinking water,” remarked Roskam. “For the first time in over a decade new dumping will be allowed into Lake Michigan. The decision by Indiana’s DEM seems too rash, and too irresponsible, especially when it directly affects the health of my constituents.”
“I am pleased that the House of Representatives voted to reiterate its intent to protect U.S. citizens from the potential dangers of unsafe Mexican trucks. All Mexico-domiciled trucks, trucking companies and drivers should be held to the same safety standards currently in place for American trucks."
GovernorBlagojevich
Illinois
Cares Rx“Illinois Cares Rx was created to make sure that no senior or disabled person would be left behind by the federal Medicare Part D program. I want to encourage seniors to go online and apply to get these best-in-the-nation prescription drug benefits,” said Gov. Blagojevich. “It is also critical for all other previously eligible seniors to reapply as soon as possible to make sure they stay covered through next year.”
"A “Master Artist” is an individual recognized within his or her community as an exemplary practitioner of his or her traditional or classical ethnic art form. An “Apprentice” is an individual with some experience in a traditional or classical ethnic art form who is committed to attaining mastery of that art."
City
ofWest Chicago
"Combining a life-long love of photography inspired by her father, with a passion for travel, artist Joanne Kalchbrenner revels in capturing images that chronicle her life's journey."
Sen
Durbin
Senator
Asks Web For Legislation Help - WebProNews - Lexington,KY"For four nights, beginning Tuesday, July 24, 2007, Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) will be interacting with the American public, seeking ideas and feedback about a national broadband strategy on the blog OpenLeft.com. Durbin says he will use the information gleaned in the comments section there to help draft broadband legislation."
In
Congress, a Rush to Legislate - New York Times"“We want all of the members of the Senate to go home having cast their votes either for the president’s policy or against it, speak to their voters and return, reassess the situation in September,” said Senator Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, also appearing on CNN."
Sen.
Obama
Nomination
of Judge Southwick for the U.S. Appeals Court"Judge Southwick's answers to the Senate Judiciary Committee failed to excuse his disappointing record on cases involving consumers, employees, racial minorities, women and gays and lesbians. After reviewing his 7,000 opinions, Judge Southwick could not find one case in which he sided with a civil rights plaintiff in a non-unanimous verdict."
"Ms. Winfrey supports Senator Barack Obama of Illinois; Ms. Angelou backs Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York. Ms. Winfrey publicly endorsed Mr. Obama on “Larry King Live” on CNN in early May. On that program, she said, “I think that what he stands for, what he has proven that he can stand for, what he has shown, was worth me going out on a limb for.”"
"Find out how many senators appeared before an immigration rally last year. Who was talking the talk, and who walked the walk — because I walked," Mr. Obama said at the National Council of La Raza's annual convention in Miami Beach. "I didn't run away from the issue, and I didn't just talk about it in front of Latino audiences."
WegoWeb
B25,
B24, and B17 At Dupage AirportThere is a new collage of the WWII airplanes at DuPage Airport. Readers are reminded of the video and to check the Collings Foundation's website, Wings of Freedom 2007
Cable
ComChannel 17
"Tune in to CableCom Channel 17 this week to catch the replay of the 7/16/07 City Council meeting. Also, relive the fun and excitement of the '98 and '02 Railroad Days celebrations. Don't miss the West Chicago historical program called Little Railroad Town. You can't beat a little fun and a little history."
Teams
pull 75,000 pound jet to raise money for Special Olympics Illinois
"It's the kind of weight that would give a heart doctor cold sweats. But the blubber beneath these men can move mountains - or at least a few homemade weighted sleds. "We don't lose," Morrison said. "We won this event last year, and we're going to win it this year." "
Sen
DurbinDurbin
Invites Participation in Nightly Broadband Policy Discussions"“I write this open letter to invite you to participate in an experiment – an interactive approach to drafting legislation on one of the most significant public policy questions today: What should be America’s national broadband strategy? . . . I am looking for the best and brightest ideas on what Congress should do to promote and foster broadband.”"
"If you want to sell in America, you have to meet American standards. With all the recalls, we have endured of late, I'm sure many Americans will agree. The last thing we want to support is imported defective products."
Sen.
Obama"Just moments before he arrived, Mr. Obama had said goodbye to a less exclusive crowd of 10,000 that had gathered to hear him speak across the bay in Oakland. They paid nothing to hear him, but spent $40,000 on Obama T-shirts, baseball caps, buttons and other knickknacks. And the Obama campaign registered each of the purchasers as one of the record 258,000 contributors it signed up in the first six months of the year."
"TMZ obtained photos of presidential candidate Mitt Romney trying to win over grammatically challenged South Carolinians Thursday by holding a sign that said, "No to Obama, Osama and Chelsea's Moma.""
Early
test says thorium still poisoning suburb"If correct, the findings will be the first evidence to validate new suspicions that the cancer-causing radioactive element thorium could remain on some residential properties in West Chicago. By Friday afternoon, Riess said she was considering moving out of her house."
"“We’re just airplane enthusiasts,” she said. “I like to watch them land and take off.” The pair were among the first people to see the Massachusetts-based Collings Foundation’s living history tour that rumbled into the DuPage Airport in West Chicago."
Rep
Hastert
""As far as I'm concerned right now, I'm running," Hastert said at the more than 500-people event at the Sandwich Fairgrounds. He said he plans to make a formal announcement next month on whether he will enter the 2008 race."
[This July 16th article contradicts the coverage of the same event by the Beacon. - Bob]
City
ofWest Chicago
"West Chicago's annual Fine Arts Fiesta in the Park held during the community's blockbuster Railroad Days event last weekend harvested a diverse assortment of local art from talented individuals with a West Chicago connection. The cultural venue rounded out a schedule of events that succeeded in offering something for a wide variety of interests."
Sen.Randy Hultren
"State Sen. Randy Hultgren (R-Wheaton) says that while there is little chance for a quick end to the Illinois budget crisis, progress has been made on several technology issues aimed at providing relief to consumers throughout the entire state."
WegoWebWWII
Vintage Airplanes Land at DuPageAlmost perfectly on time, a B25, a B24, and a B17 landed at DuPage Air Port and taxied into a line on the ramp for inspection by area residents. The link above goes to a short video. Hopefully this is the last time I will have to use an unedited MOV file. - Bob
"This is the inaugural visit for the B-25. "The (B-25) Mitchell will be flying with the 17 and 24. This collection of aircraft is the only type in the world as far as living history," Chaney said. "We've had a real groundswell of interest as far as the plane being part of the tour. We've slowly integrated it. It's been a great addition." "
Sen
DurbinDurbin
Applauds Senate Passage of Higher Education Access Act"I have been a strong supporter of increasing the maximum Pell grant to help both students and parents - not just those from poverty-stricken areas, but those who come from middle-income households, farm families and the families of recent immigrants."
Durbin
Seeks Increased Participation in Summer Food Service Program"In the summer months, when school lets out, hundreds of thousands of low-income children in Illinois lose access to the school breakfasts, lunches, and after-school snacks they receive during the regular school year," Durbin said. "The Summer Food Service Program is an excellent way to provide children with the nutrition they need to stay healthy."
Skilled
Workers May See Green-Card Surge - BusinessWeek"In particular, he has expressed concern that Indian outsourcing companies, including Wipro (WIT), Infosys Technologies (INFY), and Satyam Computer Services (SAY), are using temporary U.S. visas to facilitate the outsourcing of American jobs (see BusinessWeek.com, 6/27/07, "More Heat for Indian Outsourcers")."
Sen.
Obama"U.S. Senator Obama (D-IL) joined a bipartisan group of fourteen Senators, led by Senators Kennedy and Specter, to introduce the Fair Pay Restoration Act, a bill to overturn the Supreme Court’s recent 5-4 decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, which undermined the basic protection against pay discrimination under the Civil Rights Act of 1964."
Obama
Secures Funding for Ethanol Research, Soybeans Disease Studies“Every dollar we invest in Illinois’ ethanol and soybean disease prevention research centers is a dollar towards a larger, healthier crop and a cleaner, domestically produced energy source.”
Rep
Hastert"Former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert has indicated to a close former aide that it is likely he will not run for a 12th term from his northern Illinois district and may even resign from Congress before his present term concludes."
GovernorBlagojevich
recommendations
to improve safety at Illinois dams“Today, we’re taking an important step toward making Illinois’ waterways safer. The information contained in this new report will serve as a solid basis to make people more aware of dangers surrounding dams and create better warnings to help people avoid them,”
Sen
JohnMillner
Garrett,
Millner Start Bipartisan Effort to Keep Pollutants out of Lake Michigan"Garrett and Millner have teamed to introduce a resolution in the Illinois Senate, that urges the federal Environmental Protection Agency to prohibit British Petroleum (BP) from increasing the amount of ammonia and sludge it discharges into Lake Michigan. The measure also urges Illinois’ congressional delegation to take legislative and legal action against the proposal."
Quarantine
Order Edith Makra, Community Trees Advocate at the Morton Arboretum, has graciously provided a copy of the most recent Quarantine Order in the continued effort to combat the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer.
Living,
flying history"The Collings Foundation, a nonprofit Massachusetts-based group, presents its Wings of Freedom Tour. It features flights and walk-through tours of three historic and authentic World War II bombers: the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator and B-25 Mitchell."
[See the Collings Foundation's website, Wings of Freedom 2007 for more information. - Bob]
W.
Chicago teachers’ 4-year pact awaits signing"As part of the new pact, the teachers will get a 3.37 percent pay raise for the coming school year. The teachers will then receive 3.15 percent raises during each of the next three years. The agreement comes after an era of intermittent hostility between the board and union during which teachers often claimed their opinions were being ignored."
"Explore old environmentally friendly techniques in the program "Green Technologies From the 1890s," to be held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Friday at Kline Creek Farm, 600 S. County Farm Rd. Call 630-876-5900."
Sen
Durbin"Homeland Security grants enhance the ability of states, territories, and urban areas to prevent, protect against, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks and other disasters."
Sen.
ObamaObama
Introduces Bill to Establish Hospital Report Card“One way to improve our nation’s healthcare system is to hold our hospitals to high standards and provide patients with the information they need to make decisions about where to go for health care,”
Obama
Introduces Bill to Halt, Review Military Personality Disorder Discharges“This legislation will force the Department of Defense to suspend its use of this discharge procedure until Secretary Gates can conduct a comprehensive review of these policies and establish a review board to evaluate questionable cases."
Rep Peter Roskam
Illinois
lawmakers unite against dumping- Chicago Tribune"These staggering figures are wholly contradictory to the intent of the Clean Water Act, which seeks to minimize the degradation of our water quality," the letter continues. "We are deeply concerned that a permit of this nature was issued."
GovernorBlagojevich
Merle
Berle- Railroad Days
- DuPage Airport's Community Days
- Veterans of Foreign Wars Steak Fry
- toy/tree decoration
- Artist Maggie Kruser
- Preschool Memorial Playground
WegoWebCorrection
- Documents relevant to Thorium Cleanup- Minutes of May Intergovernmental Forum about the Thorium situation
- Invitation to attend a COMMUNITY_PICNIC/INFORMATION_MEETING
- The July 20th meeting of the Intergovernmental Forum does not have an agenda posted..
Rail
Road Days Parade 2007 - CollageFinally the collage of the Rail Road Days Parade is finished. Somehow, again, as has been the case since they needed money to go to London in 1999, the West Chicago High School Marching Band's picture does not appear. Please note: this is not an intentional exclusion.
City
ofWest Chicago
Notification of
Public Hearing on St. AndrewsOn July 17th, City Planner Jeff Harris sent this letter, including links to maps of the area involved and to the cite of the meeting at Wheaton Academy, to adjacent property owners who might be concerned with continuation public hearing Case: PC 07-10.
"Prosecutors said Tuesday they will not ask a judge or jury to impose upon Bradley M. Justice a punishment reserved for the worst of the worst. The 29-year-old man does not have a significant criminal past. Authorities allege he ambushed, robbed and beat Karen Hassan with a hammer Nov. 2 as she delivered pizzas near West Chicago."
"Bradley Justice, 28, of Sandwich, who prosecutors allege is a drug addict, is charged with murdering Karen Hussan, 41, a mother of four, on Nov. 2 in a parking lot near West Chicago. He allegedly called for a pizza to be delivered to a parking lot on Powis Road, in unincorporated DuPage County. When Hussan arrived, he beat her to death with a hammer, authorities allege."
"Tele-Fonika Cable Americas Corp. has expanded into a new 110,000-square-foot headquarters and distribution space in Batavia. The maker of electrical wire and cable, a wholly owned subsidiary of Krakow-based Tele-Fonika Kable SA, left 42,000 square feet in nearby West Chicago, said David Prell, a CB Richard Ellis broker who represented the tenant in the transaction."
Sen
DurbinDurbin,
Emanuel Call on BP CEO to Reconsider Dumping More Ammonia and Sludge in Lake
Michigan"But in light of your company's plan to dump an additional 1,584 pounds of ammonia and 4,925 pounds of “sludge” into Lake Michigan each day from a BP plant in Whiting, Indiana, America may not want to follow your corporate lead “beyond petroleum.”"
Sen.
Obama"The Lead Poisoning Reduction Act requires that all non-home-based child care facilities, including Head Start program locations and kindergarten classrooms, be lead-safe within five years. The bill also would establish a five-year, $42.6 million grant program to help local communities pay to make these facilities safe, and set up "best practices" standards for communities to test for and reduce lead hazards."
"This morning's declassified NIE is a chilling reminder of what we have feared all along. After almost six years, awesome sacrifices by our brave men and women in uniform, and hundreds of billions of dollars spent, we are no safer than we were on 9/11."
"Senator Barack Obama told the audience at a Planned Parenthood conference in Washington that he keeps his two young daughters in mind when he thinks about women’s issues. He said he often wonders, “What kind of America will our daughters grow up in?”"
Rep
Hastert"Former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) who will announced in a few weeks whether he will seek another term, only has $75,673 cash-on-hand in his campaign fund, depleted in part because of legal costs associated with defending himself in the Mark Foley page sex scandal."
"Rep. J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), the former speaker who underwent questioning from the ethics committee during its review last fall of the Foley matter, spent nearly $60,000 on legal bills in April and May, slightly less than the $70,000 he paid to his attorneys in the first quarter."
Rep Peter Roskam
"H. Res. 552 calls for the removal of all foreign investment ownership caps on banking, life insurance, asset management, and securities in China. It would also discourage discrimination against U.S. financial services relating to licensing, permitted products and services, regulation and supervision."
[... and does nothing about defective products and contaminated food. - Bob]
"That tally is about twice as much as Roskam reported at the end of March, as he gears up to defend his west suburban 6th District seat next year. Roskam reported that he had received $334,306 in contributions during April, May and June."
"Roskam, R-6th District, of Wheaton, said he sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, calling on the agencies to conduct a thorough health risk study to examine the danger of exposure to toxic substances from the proposed demolition of hundreds of Bensenville homes in accordance with the O’Hare Modernization Program."
GovernorBlagojevich
"The DuPage Airport is hosting their Community Days weekend Friday, July 20 through Monday, July 23, 2007. This year the Collings Foundation's Wings of Freedom Tour, Chicagoland Military Vehicle Club, Civil Air Patrol, Special Olympics Illinois Plane Pull Event, as well as unique DuPage Airport tenant aircraft will be on display throughout the weekend."
Progress
made in thorium probe "The Environmental Protection Agency is developing a system to determine if residual thorium contamination exists on any residential properties in West Chicago. It’s a move that has West Chicago leaders declaring there’s been progress in two meetings between city and federal officials."
- Minutes of May Intergovernmental Forum about the Thorium situation
- Invitation to attend the July 21st meeting of the Intergovernmental Forum.
