At the Monday, March 19, 2018, City Council meeting, West Chicago Police Detective Robbi Peterson presented the Law Enforcement Torch Run Plaque to Police Chief Mike Uplegger. The plaque is for the outstanding financial support of the WC Police Department to the 2017 Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Illinois. Peterson said, “This is a milestone for our Department. This is the first time we reached Gold Status by raising $16,497.58.” The West Chicago Police Department will be listed on the back of the official LETR tee shirts for the Special Olympics. He added, “The West Chicago community is big supporters of our efforts.”
The fundraising goal he has set for 2018 is $25,000. Thus far, the amount raised between the Super Plunge in which Peterson participated, and the Polar Plunge in which he, his three children and a couple of their friends, Chief Uplegger and Officer Jonathan Jones participated, is $5,410. For the Super Plunge, Peterson raised $3,785, 76 percent of his goal of $5,000; for the Polar Plunge, the amount raised was $1,625, 65 percent of the goal of $2,500. “Since 2005, our department has raised $69,895 on behalf of the LETR for Special Olympics Illinois.”
Chief Uplegger said, “This award would not be possible without Robbi. The Department fully supports our participation. One of the most enjoyable things is handing out the awards to the youths at the Special Olympic and seeing their smiling faces.” In 2017 Illinois LETR raised 4.4 million dollars for Special Olympics Illinois and more $56 million since 1986.
Upcoming fundraising dates include Cop on the Rooftop, May 18, 2018 at all four Dunkin’ Donuts locations; Sign and Drive for Special Olympics with Haggerty Ford, June 9, 2018; the Torch Run for Special Olympics Illinois comes through West Chicago, June 10, 2018; Softball – Police Department vs the Fire District and Pig Roast, July 29, 2018; and the Plane Pull, September 22, 2018. I will have details for these as the dates become closer to the events, but you can mark them on your calendars now.
2018 marks the 50th Anniversary of Special Olympics. Special Olympics began in Illinois with the first games at Soldier Field in July 1968 thanks to the efforts of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and her peers. This is where the 2018 Summer Games will be held from Friday, July 20 through Sunday, July 22, 2018. Special Olympics International, Special Olympics Illinois and Special Children’s Charities in Chicago are uniting to host this event. (www.merleburl.com)
AROUND AND ABOUT
The following is a schedule of worship services and Easter activities planned by local churches for Maundy Thursday, March 29, 2018; Good Friday, March 30, 2018; Holy Saturday, March 31, 208; and Easter Sunday, April 1, 2018.
Apostolic Assembly Church, 464 Ann Street, Easter service is at 11:00 a.m.
Community Fellowship Church, 28W240 North Avenue, Good Friday service is at 7:00 p.m. The Easter sunrise service is at 6:30 a.m. The Easter worship services are 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.
Faith Community Church, 910 Main Street, Maundy Thursday service at 7:00 p.m. The Easter worship service is at 9:30 a.m.
First United Methodist Church of West Chicago, 643 East Washington Street, Good Friday service is at 7:00 p.m. The Easter worship service is at 10:00 a.m.
Glen Arbor Community Church, 204 Church Street, Good Friday service is at 7:00 p.m. Easter service is at 10:00 a.m.
Hispanic Church of the Nazareth Easter worship service is at 1:30 p.m. This is at First United Methodist Church building, 643 East Washington Street.
Nueva Esperanza (New Hope,) Church, 910 Main Street, Good Friday service with a dramatic presentation is at 7:00 p.m. The Easter service is at 11:15 a.m.
New Life Bilingual Church, 468 Ann Street, Easter worship service is at 10:30 a.m.
New Jerusalem House of Prayer Church, 100 Wycliffe Drive, Passover Seder is at 7:00 p.m. Friday; reservations are needed and may be made by calling the church office at (630) 231-1775. On Saturday, the Shabbat service is at 10:00 a.m. Saturday. The Easter worship service is at 10:00 a.m.
Real Life Church, 525 North Neltnor Boulevard, Easter service is at 10:00 a.m.
Renewal Church Easter services are at 9:15 and 11:00 a.m. at the ARC in Reed-Keppler Park, 201 West National Street.
St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 155 North Prince Crossing Road, the bilingual Maundy Thursday service is at 7:00 p.m. On Good Friday, the bilingual Via Crusis (Stations of the Cross) begins at noon at the intersection of Easton and Main Streets, proceeds east on Main Street, then north on Prince Crossing Road to the church. The Good Friday Tennebrae service in English is at 7:00 p.m. The Easter Vigil in Spanish is at 7:00 p.m. Saturday.The Easter worship services are traditional at 8:00 a.m., contemporary at 10:00 a.m. and Spanish at noon. There is a breakfast brunch at 11:00 a.m. and Easter Egg Hunt at 11:15 a.m.
St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 140 North Oakwood Avenue, Holy Thursday includes live representation of the Lord’s Supper and the Mass of the Lord’s Supper in English and Spanish at 7:00 p.m. On Good Friday, the Way of the Cross is at noon, the live representation of the Stations of the Cross is at 4:00 p.m. and the liturgy of the Passion is at 7:00 p.m. On Holy Saturday, the Blessing of Food is at noon. The Easter Vigil is at 7:30 p.m. Easter Sunday observations take place at the regular Mass schedule.
St. Michael’s United Church of Christ, 400 West Washington Street, Good Friday service is at 7:00 p.m. The Easter worship service is at 9:30 a.m. followed by brunch.
Trinity Lutheran Church, 331 George Street, Maundy Thursday service is at 7:00 p.m. The Good Friday service is at 7:00 p.m. On Easter the worship services are at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. and Spanish service at noon. Breakfast is at 9:00 a.m.
Water’s Edge Bible Church, 209 South Oakwood Avenue, Good Friday Service is at 6:00 p.m. Easter worship service is at 9:30 a.m.
West Chicago Church of Christ, 350 James Street, Easter worship service is at 10:30 a.m.
Wheaton Bible Church, 27W500 North Avenue, Good Friday contemporary service is at 6:00 p.m., bilingual at 7:00 p.m. and traditional at 8:00 p.m. Easter worship services are bilingual sunrise service at 6:00 a.m., traditional at 8:00 a.m., contemporary at 9:45 and 11:30 a.m.
Coffee with the Mayor is from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 31, 2018, at City Hall, 475 Main Street.
American Legion Post 300, along with assistance from Sons of the American Legion, hosts its annual Egg Hunt at 10:00 a.m. SHARP Saturday, March 31, 2018, at Reed-Keppler Park, Arbor Avenue and National Street. The areas for children are divided into age groups of 1 and 2 year-olds, 3 and 4 year-olds, 5 and 6 year-olds and 7 and 8 year-olds. In each age grouping, there are prizes for two children, who find the “special” eggs. Children supply their own baskets for collecting the candy-filled eggs. The egg hunt is a community tradition that spans more than 50 years.
Remember to check local eating establishments for Easter brunch and dinner specials.
The City free leaf pickup is early again this year. It takes place during the week of Monday, April 2, through Friday, April 6, 2018, on regularly scheduled garbage pickup days. Leaves must be in “Kraft” bags. Stickers are not required. No other yard waste is to be mixed with the leaves.
Yard waste collection begins Monday, April 2, and ends Thursday, November 30, 2018, on regularly scheduled garbage pickup days. It must be placed in a “Kraft” yard waste bag with a Universal sticker attached or in 95-gallon yard waste cart.
Wayne/Winfield Area Youth/Family Services offers hour-long computer classes for senior citizens at Wayne Township, 27W031 North Avenue. Not only do seniors learn basic skills, but also have the opportunity to socialize. The fee is $2. Reservations are required and may be made by calling (630) 231-7166. Beginner classes are at 1:00 p.m. Tuesdays. “Introduction to Facebook” class is at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 3, 2018.
West Chicago Public Library District offers a two-hour computer Microsoft Word class at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 3, 2018, in the small conference room, 118 West National Street. Persons learn formatting of text and documents, changing fonts, cut/copy and paste, using Spell Check and MS word terminology. To make reservations, call the adult services department at (630) 231-1552, extension 4.
Healthy West Chicago and Common Threads once again join together to offer free cooking lessons. The five-session class is from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays from April 4 through June 2, 2018, in the Rockwell Building, 108 Sherman Street. To register visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/youth-cooking-skills-world-cuisine-class-tickets-44428123714?ref=estw or https://www.facebook.com/HealthyWestChicago/. The after-school program engages students in a global exploration through healthy meal preparation. With the support of community volunteers and a trained chef instructor, students from third to eighth grade, expand their nutritional knowledge and world-view as they learn to follow a recipe and prepare a low-cost, healthy meal. (www.merleburl.com)
GardenWorks Project hosts “Design a Beautiful and Functional Raised Bed Garden” program at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, 2018, at West Suburban Resource Center, 103 West Washington Street (inside Galley 200). Funder and board member Tina Koral, teaches the benefits of a raised garden, supplies needed and designing the garden on any budget. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. for guests to look over the extensive seed collection. Persons also can purchase a 4 foot X 8 foot cedar raised bed kit. Proceeds from the kits support the Home Gardening Program. To make a reservation visit http://www.gardenworksproject.org/raised_bed_class. (www.merleburl.com)
During the month of April, more than 50 students from West Chicago Community High School display their artwork at Gallery 200, 103 West Washington Street. Attending the artists’ reception from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Friday, April 6, 2018, are some of the students and art teachers Megan Dulkinys and David Exner. Refreshments are served. There is a wide range of artwork from traditional to contemporary in the areas of drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, digital photography, graphic art and 3D Design.
Every year townships in Illinois hold their Annual Town meetings on the second Tuesday in April, which this year is April 10, 2018. Winfield Township is at 7:00 p.m. at Winfield Township Road District building, 30W375 Roosevelt Road. Sign in is at 6:30 p.m. Wayne Township meeting is at 7:30 p.m. in the Senior Center at Wayne Township, 27W031 North Avenue. Sign in is at 7:00 p.m. Elected officials and staff are on hand to answer questions and give reports. The meetings are open to all residents in the Township.
As part of the Town Hall Share program, West Chicago City Museum and West Chicago Elementary School District 33 celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Indian Knoll School at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 11, 2018, at the School, ON645 Indian Knoll Road. Included in the event is a meal, a slideshow of the 50 years and a short historical presentation of the school and the area. Persons are encouraged to share a memory and/or contribute an item to the 2018 time capsule. Reservations are recommended and may be made by calling the School office at (630) 293-6020.
The West Chicago Park District’s monthly social gathering for senior citizens is at noon Thursday, April 12, 2018, at the ARC, 201 West National Street. The event is the popular baked chicken luncheon sponsored by the West Chicago Police Department. Guests bring a dish to share and a complete place setting. There is no charge, but reservations are required by Friday, April 6, and may be made in person at the ARC or online at www.we-goparks.org.
Wayne/Winfield Area Youth/Family Services celebrates its 35th Anniversary, at the annual Luncheon and Silent Auction, Tuesday, April 17, 2018, in the Wayne Township building, 27W031 North Avenue. Networking is at 11:30 a.m. and the luncheon, catered by Augustino’s Rock and Roll Deli, is at noon. There is a presentation of Community Awards to individuals and groups. The ticket price is $20. Raffle tickets also are available for the price of $1 or $5 for six tickets. Reservations are requested by Wednesday, April 11. To purchase raffle tickets or to make a luncheon reservation, call WAYS at (630) 231-7166 from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday.
The Silent Auction features baskets ranging in value from $10 to more than $200. Baskets feature gift cards from restaurants, salons, boutiques, salons and unique fun opportunities. Persons unable to attend can call WAYS a week before the event to receive a bidding list and then submit a bid.
Proceeds support WAYS day camp program to provide scholarships for children in need. More than 25 percent of WAYS campers are from families below the poverty level and another 50 percent are struggling families, who need a safe, healthy camp while they work. In addition to the summer camp program, WAYS provides individual, family and group therapy in English and Spanish, anger management and parenting classes also in English and Spanish, and youth tutoring. WAYS is a community based not-for-profit agency serving West Chicago, Winfield, Wayne, Warrenville, Bartlett, Carol Stream, and Hanover Park. Providing funding for WAYS are Wayne Township, Winfield Township, Village of Hanover Park, Ecolab Employees’ Foundation, client fees, insurance, donations and fundraisers.
Volunteers are needed for the WeGo Together Community Market from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Tuesdays at Leman Middle School, 238 East Hazel Street. English/Spanish bilingual skills, and computer knowledge are required. The volunteer period is for a minimum of six months, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. To volunteer, visit http://peoplesrc.org/volunteer-opportunities.
Sincere sympathy is extended to the family of John Henry Gage, who at the age of 58 passed away Thursday, March 15, 2018.
Deepest sympathy is expressed to the family of Lucille E. (Brasen) Legath, who at the age of 94 passed away Tuesday, March 21,2018.
Sincere sympathy is extended to the family of David Michael Porter, who at the age of 64 passed away Wednesday, March 22, 2018.
The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada awarded the Certificate for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the West Chicago Fire Protection District for its comprehensive annual financial report. This is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management. The District also received this Certificate for its 2016 report.
The CAFR is judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivates potential user groups to read the CAFR.
The West Chicago Fire Protection District recently received the delivery of Brush 6 from First Attack Engineering in Waterloo, Indiana. The vehicle is a Ford 550 4×4, which carries 300 gallons of water and has a 300 gallon per minute pump. There is a front turret nozzle capable of flowing 125 gallons of water per minute and various other brush fire suppression capabilities. It also carries a rescue litter to move patients, who are injured or rescued from off-road emergencies such as incidents on the Prairie Path or Forest Preserve paths to an awaiting ambulance. The unit responds with three firefighter/paramedics from Fire Station 6, 200 Fremont Street. It replaces a vehicle that was 15 years old and the equipment was more than 20 years old. (www.merleburl.com)
Yesenia Muñoz, a senior at West Chicago Community High School, is Student of the Month for February. Her selection is due to her high academic achievement, school involvement, leadership and community service.
Except for one semester, she has been on High Honor Roll and her cumulative weighted Grade Point Average is 5.200. She is a member of National Honor Society and Foreign Language Honor Society, plus is an Illinois State Scholar. She is taking several AP classes of Chemistry, Spanish Literature and Calculus.
A four-year student athlete, Muñoz is captain of the girls’ varsity tennis and badminton teams. She is a Student Ambassador, a member of Health Occupations Students of America, a leader in Compass, served as a peer tutor and participated on the Speech Team. Two years ago, along with a small group of girls, Muñoz formed the Latin Fever dance and it still continues and grows in popularity. Outside of school, Muñoz assisted with the Special Olympics event and volunteered with Feed My Starving Children. Also she holds a part-time job at a local donut shop.
Upon graduation, Muñoz plans to attend Loyola University in Chicago, majoring in Psychology and Pre-med with hopes of becoming a doctor. (www.merleburl.com)
Beginning this month, the companies of Blue Frost Heating and Cooling of West Chicago and Confident Air, Inc. of Batavia are merging into one company under the Blue Frost name and location at 1965 Powis Road. Thomas M. Wagner, Jr. is the owner of Confident Hire and Tom Byrne is the owner of Blue Frost. Between the two owners, they have more than 50 years of experience in the HVAC industry.
At the Monday, March 5, 2018, City Council meeting, Steve Stelter, Vice President of the Illinois Association of Police Chiefs, presented a Certificate of Accreditation from the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation program to West Chicago Police Chief Mike Uplegger. It is a state-wide program and is a good alternative to the national standard since its standards are more relevant. Uplegger applied to take on this evaluation a year ago. ILEAP verified the Police Department met all the standards. Chief Uplegger said, “This is one of the things I wanted to accomplish when I became Chief.” He added both Police Commander Julio Calabrese and Police Management Analyst Dean Myles, were instrumental in working on the accreditation. Myles “provided guidance throughout the whole process.” Mayor Ruben Pineda said, “I am very proud of our Police force. It is one of the best in the country.”
At the Monday, March 19, 2018, meeting, City Council approved a plat of re-subdivision for the property at 509 Church Street that currently is owned by the City. Re-subdividing the property into three lots allows the vacant eastern and western portions to be available as buildable lots and the middle portion with the existing building to remain in compliance with the City’s minimum Code Requirements. The existing 2,600 square-foot industrial building is used by the Facilities Management Division of the Public Works Department.
Also approved was a special use Amendment of West Chicago Elementary School District properties at 130, 300, and 312 East Forest Avenue. This is to reconfigure the off-street parking at Gary School and to expand the shared off-street parking for the Early Learning Center and the Education Services Center. The District also proposed a new 900 square-foot shed parallel to the east property line for its maintenance equipment and storage; this would replace the existing 200 square-foot shed.
The Council gave approval to a Planned Unit Development for Lot 2, 550 East Washington Street, in the five-lot Anthony PUD. The applicant is Pasqual Gonzalez of Little Prince Daycare Center. He proposes to convert the 11,000 square-foot former medical building into a daycare center. A 5,400 square-foot fenced playground area is proposed for the north side of the building.
DCP Lounge, previously located at t 243 West Roosevelt Road recently moved to 191 West North Avenue.
A photograph by West Chicago resident Lisa Weier was featured in the Photo Finish Contest Neighbor section of the Tuesday, March 20, 2018, issue of the “Daily Herald.” The photograph was of tiny water droplets on an evergreen after a February snowstorm.
My email address is merleburl@earthlink.net.
