Bugle Newspapers 7-20-23

Three Dog Night to play rialto Square Theater

The legendary Three Dog Night will take the Rialto Square Theatre stage on Sunday, October 1 at 7:30 PM. Tickets go on sale Friday, July 21 at 10 AM.

Legendary band, Three Dog Night, now in its 5th decade, claims some of the most astonishing statistics in popular music. In the years 1969 through 1974, no other group achieved more top 10 hits, moved more records, or sold more concert tickets than Three Dog Night.

Three Dog Night hits weave through the fabric of pop culture today, whether on the radio where they are heard day in and day out, in TV commercials or in ma-

jor motion pictures -- songs like “Mama Told Me (Not To Come)”, “Joy to the World”, “Black and White”, “Shambala” and “One” serve to heighten our emotions and crystallize Three Dog Night’s continuing popularity.

Boasting chart and sales records that remain virtually unmatched in popular music, Three Dog Night had 21 consecutive Top 40 hits, including 3 #1 singles, 11 Top 10’s, 18 straight Top 20’s, 7 million-selling singles and 12 straight RIAA Certified Gold LPs. The hits appeared on best selling charts in all genres (pop, rock and country). Its records continue to sell around the world, reaching

beyond the borders of the U.S. into Japan, Canada, Holland, England, Germany, Spain and elsewhere. Tens of millions of Three Dog Night records have been sold through the years.

Created in 1968 by Danny Hutton, Three Dog Night maintains an aggressive, yearround touring schedule of over 90 dates a year, performing their hit filled concerts for multi-generational audiences. The band’s now-famous name refers to native Australian hunters in the outback who huddled with their dogs for warmth on cold nights; the coldest being a “three dog night”.

The band recorded songs of

the best and largely undiscovered new songwriters of its time including Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman, Elton John, Laura Nyro, Paul Williams and Hoyt Axton among many others. The group’s eclectic taste, combined with its ability to recognize and record hits in a unique, distinctive, and appealing style, resulted in Three Dog Night dominating the charts for years. The band’s music transcends time, bringing together both new and longtime audiences alike.

Three Dog Night demonstrates its eclectic song choices once again with the new material being recorded for an upcoming album

release. One of the new tracks, “Prayer of the Children” was discovered by Hutton who created an a cappella arrangement, so that for the first time in the history of Three Dog Night, the vocals of all six members of the band are featured. The song is currently part of their live concert set and quickly becoming an audience favorite. Marking over 50 years on the road, Three Dog Night continues to grow its fan base by keeping up a full schedule of concerts at theatres, performing arts centers, fairs, festivals, corporate events, and casinos. Since 1986, the band has performed nearly 3,000 shows including two Super Bowls.

“Diaper Depot Drive” Underway in Will county through July 21

Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, State Representative Dagmara “Dee” Avelar, Senator Meg Loughran Cappel, and State Representative Natalie Manley are partnering with United Way of Will County to host a “Diaper Depot Drive” to collect items for local families experiencing hardships. Several collection boxes have been placed throughout the county and donations are accepted until Friday, July 21.

“I’m glad to be working with numerous partners in helping United Way collect baby essentials,” said County Executive Bertino-Tarrant. “I invite residents to donate diapers and related items during this drive to support local families in need. We have worked to place donation sites in accessible locations throughout the county.”

Items that are accepted during the collection drive include diapers (sizes 1-6), baby wipes, diaper cream, and baby wash. According to the United

Way of Will County, diaper sizes 4-6 are the most requested items.

“Caring for a newborn is one of the toughest jobs that is often exacerbated by additional financial burdens,” said State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel, D-Shorewood. “Diapers aren’t cheap. I encourage residents to participate in the Diaper Depot Drive so we can provide families in our communities with the necessary supplies.”

All donated items will support the United Way of Will County’s Diaper Depot Program that provides one, pre-packaged bundle of 25 diapers per child per month to families experiencing hardships. United Way of Will County has three locations in Bolingbrook, Joliet, and Lockport where families in need can receive a Baby Bundle at no cost.

“I am happy to support the Diaper Depot Drive and would encourage my constituents to participate and help if they can, by donating baby materials

to the families that need it,” said Deputy Majority Leader Natalie Manley, D-Joliet. “The time after the arrival of a newborn is one of the most stressful periods for families, and anything that we can do to help out will go a long way to provide relief. Thank you to all of our community partners for making this happen.”

Diapers are not covered by either WIC or SNAP, requiring households in need to budget for these essential products. To address this “diaper gap,” the United Way of Will County officially launched the Diaper Depot program in 2018, formerly called Community Baby Shower. Over 70,000 diapers have been donated through the program.

“Access to clean diapers and other baby products is essential to the health and wellbeing of our community’s children, and no child should go without,” said State Rep. Dagmara Avelar, D-Bolingbrook. “I’m proud to represent a community that comes together

to support those in need, so I encourage everyone who is able to donate to our Diaper Depot Drive.”

Donation boxes are available through July 21, 2023 at the following locations:

• Bolingbrook Town Center - 375 W. Briarcliff Rd., Bolingbrook

• Crest Hill City Hall - 20600 City Center Blvd., Crest Hill

• Will County Office Building - 302

N. Chicago St., Joliet

• Workforce Center of Will County2400 Glenwood Ave., Joliet

• Lockport City Hall - 222 E. 9th St., Lockport

• Plainfield Village Administration24401 Lockport St., Plainfield

• Romeoville Police Department1050 W. Romeo Rd., Romeoville

• Shorewood Village Hall - 1 Towne Center Blvd., Shorewood

Free Shred event July 22

First Secure Community Bank of Joliet will be holding a free and secure shred event at its Joliet Banking Center — located at 2398 Essington Road, Joliet, IL 60435 — on the corner of Essington and Caton Farm Roads. The event will run from 10 am – 1 pm and is open to customers and non-customers.

“We are excited to offer the community the opportunity a secure way to eliminate unwanted paperwork and documents,” said First Secure Community Bank CEO Jay Berg-

man. “This free event will offer the entire community the opportunity to protect their personal information as they declutter their homes.”

Those wishing to participate can shred up to five (5) boxes or bags of paper. All documents will be shred in a mobile truck by Shred-it®, a company with more than 30 years in document disposal and security.

For more information, contact the Aurora Banking Center at (815) 230-8000.

State regulators work to avoid federal clean air act sanctions

JCAR’s review and decision-making on this proposal,” IPCB staff attorney Tim Fox said in a phone message.

Illinois faces a deadline next month to either change the way it enforces air pollution emission limits on heavy industries or face federal sanctions that could eventually result in restricted access to billions of dollars in federal highway funding.

But state agencies are working to avoid that as they rush to meet an Aug. 12 deadline imposed by the federal government to put a new regulatory framework in place that will comply with the federal government’s current interpretation of the Clean Air Act.

Those rule changes, which come from the Illinois Pollution Control Board, are up for review on Tuesday, July 18, before the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, a 12-member group that exercises oversight over the state’s administrative rulemaking process.

“At this point, any future course for this rulemaking depends entirely on

“The board awaits that review and decision-making at its meeting on Tuesday.”

At issue is a policy Illinois has had since the 1970s that allows factories, power plants, and other industries with air pollution emission permits to exceed their emission limits during startups, shutdowns, or malfunctions, or SSM events.

The so-called “SSM exemption” is written into a facility’s emission permit and provides the facility’s owners a level of immunity from civil lawsuits if they are sued for violating their emission limits.

The policy is based on the idea that no machine works perfectly all the time and there are occasionally unforeseeable events such as power outages or floods that will force a facility to shut down for a period of time and then restart, which can result in short-term excess emissions.

But it’s a policy that courts have

said since 2008 violates the federal Clean Air Act, and it’s one that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been telling Illinois and other jurisdictions since 2015 that they need to repeal.

Now, Illinois faces an Aug. 12 deadline to repeal the regulations that allow SSM exemptions and submit to the EPA a new state implementation plan, or SIP – a document that spells out the policies and regulations the state will use to implement the Clean Air Act. Otherwise, failure to comply will trigger federal sanctions against the state.

Jack Darin, executive director of the Illinois chapter of the Sierra Club, an environmental group that has been pushing for regulatory changes at both the state and federal level, said in a phone interview that the change is needed to protect public health.

“The public health can be subjected to a lot more significant pollution during these events, and that’s why the Clean Air Act requires that facilities have plans in place to deal with

that,” he said. “It could be additional pollution controls or other steps to make sure that we’re not putting even more pollution into the air we breathe during these startup, shutdown, and malfunction events. And Illinois rules have been lacking these requirements for over a decade.”

But Donovan Griffith, vice president of government affairs for the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, said the issue is not that simple, and that removing legal protections against SSM events could dramatically increase the risk of doing business.

“You’re going to have companies that are going to have to make a decision,” he said in a separate interview. “I mean, you can’t plan for a storm to knock out your power. You can’t plan for certain things that happen. They’ll have to make the decision whether or not they’re going to restart their operations and just be out of compliance or not operate at all.”

Years of controversy

Controversy over SSM exemptions goes back as far as the 1970s. But for Illinois, the issue has been percolating for about the last dozen years, spanning the course of three presidential administrations.

In 2011, the national Sierra Club filed a petition with the U.S. EPA asking that it take stronger action to disallow SSM exemptions and affirmative defense provisions. In 2013, the agency announced that it was considering taking action on that petition. In 2015, during the Obama administration, EPA issued an “SIP call” for 36 states and nine additional local jurisdictions, including Illinois, to submit new state implementation plans.

That occurred during the early months of Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration, which did not immediately respond to the SIP call. According to testimony filed at a public hearing earlier this year, IPCB officials said the agency sought additional guidance from U.S. EPA about how to establish alternative limits for SSM events, but it did not receive a response before the Obama administration ended in January 2017.

In April 2017, the then-new Trump administration put the SIP call on hold so it could reevaluate the issue.

Three years later, in October 2020, EPA issued what it called a nonbinding “guidance memorandum” suggesting that policies such as those in place in Illinois and elsewhere would be permissible in some circumstances.

One month later, however, Democrat Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump for reelection. Soon after he took office, EPA issued a new memorandum withdrawing the Trump ad-

ministration’s memo and reasserting the policy that SSM exemptions were no longer acceptable.

Looming sanctions

Finally, in January 2022, EPA issued a new SIP call, starting a clock for Illinois and several other state and local jurisdictions to come into compliance or face mandatory sanctions.

If the state does not come into compliance by Aug. 12, EPA will impose what are called “offset sanctions,” meaning any new or significantly modified sources of pollution for which a permit is required will come under significantly stricter emission limits.

And if the state does not comply by Feb. 11, 2024, its access to federal highway funds will be restricted to safety projects, capital programs for public transit and a select few other categories of funding.

Those sanctions would be lifted once the U.S. EPA determines the state has submitted an acceptable new SIP.

Because of the looming deadline, the rule change has been put on a “fast track” schedule, but that has irritated industry officials who say they haven’t had enough time to submit comments or try to negotiate an agreement.

“I think we’ve known since January 2022 that this was coming, which is why there was a lot of communications from the regulated community to the agency about discussing this issue,” Griffith, of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, said. “We didn’t hear much from them until November of 2022, when they basically said, ‘here’s our proposal that we plan on filing.’”

The compressed timeline also upset some members of JCAR, which previously discussed the proposed rule change at its June 13 meeting.

“It was Nov. 17 that you reached out and asked for comments. That’s a week before Thanksgiving,” Rep. Curtis Tarver, D-Chicago, told IPCB and IEPA officials during that meeting. “You allowed 10 business days. The 11th, it was due. That’s absolutely – I hope that’s uncommon.”

Jack Jennings, deputy director of the IEPA, explained that the agencies at first tried to get clarification from the U.S. EPA about what would be acceptable, and it wasn’t until later in the year that the agencies learned that they needed to completely repeal the language allowing SSM exemptions.

JCAR and the agencies agreed at the June meeting to extend the rulemaking period for 45 days, during which time they hoped to work with U.S. EPA and industry groups to reach an agreement.

bY prTer HaNcocK capitol News Illinois

Felony charges Filed against Dupage county Woman accused of aggravated animal cruelty

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced today that Felony charges have been filed against an unincorporated Glen Ellyn woman who is already facing 132 Misdemeanor counts of Cruelty to Animals and Violation of Owners Duties. Late Tuesday afternoon, Berlin’s office filed two charges of Aggravated Animal Cruelty (Class 4 Felony) against April Elliott, 60 (d.o.b. 4/7/1963) of the 2N200 block of Mildred Avenue, as the result of a continuing investigation into level of care Elliott provided for dozens of animals at her Glen Ellyn property. On June 29, 2023, DuPage Animal Services filed thirty-three charges of Cruelty to Animals (Class A Misdemeanor) and ninety-nine counts of Violation of Owner’s Duties (Class B Misdemeanor) against Elliot. The same day, Judge Joshua Dieden issued a $50,000 with 10% to apply arrest warrant for Elliot. Elliot turned herself in to authorities on July 7, 2023, posted the necessary

10%, or $5,000 and was released from custody. Yesterday, Judge David Schwartz issued a $75,000 with 10% to apply arrest warrant for Elliot based upon the new felony charges. Elliot appeared in court today on the misdemeanor case and was taken into custody on the warrant.

On June 27, 2023, DuPage County Animal Services responded to the Mildred Avenue address for a call regarding the welfare of a dog that was left outside all day on a tether and appeared to be very skinny. Upon their arrival, officers allegedly found the dog tethered outside, as well as multiple large dogs lying on the ground and in dog cages stacked on top of each other, with four to five dogs in each cage, throughout the front room of the house. A search warrant for the residence was obtained by the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office and executed later that day. It is alleged that when executing the search warrant, authorities

found thirty-three live dogs, nine deceased dogs, four deceased chinchillas and one deceased rabbit. It is further alleged that all the animals were living in inhumane conditions that caused suffering to the animals.

According to the felony complaint filed against Elliott yesterday, from approximately June 15, 2023, through July 11, 2023, Elliot failed to “provide veterinary treatment to a companion animal, an adult male Husky mix dog named Flounder, when Flounder was severely malnourished, that caused Flounder to suffer serious injury and subsequent death.”

As part of the civil proceedings against Elliott, the State had filed a petition seeking forfeiture of the remaining dogs. Following a proceeding on that petition this morning, Judge Paul Marchese ordered Elliott’s rights to the thirty-two dogs be forfeited. The thirty-two dogs are now in the care of DuPage Animal Services and will be available for adoption once

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they have recovered. In addition, on June 30, 2023, the State filed a civil petition with the court for the removal and disposal of accumulated garbage, debris and hazardous materials from the Mildred Avenue property at the owner’s expense. One week later, on July 7, Judge Bonnie Wheaton approved an agreement between the parties for this clean-up effort, which has already begun. A status hearing on those efforts is scheduled for August 4, 2023.

“It is alleged that Mrs. Elliotts’s disregard for the health and her failure to provide even the basic necessities such as food and water to dozens of animals in her care resulted in the death of fifteen animals, including ten dogs, and left thirty-two dogs severely malnourished,” Berlin said. “This is a heart-breaking case for all those involved. Sadly, following emergency surgery yesterday, Flounder succumbed to his condition. I would like to thank DuPage County Animal

Services, particularly Operations Manager Laura Flamion for their unwavering, compassionate commitment to the health and well-being of these dogs. I thank DuPage County Building and Zoning Department Administration Coordinator Paul Hoss for his extended efforts. I also thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Alyssa Rabulinski and Conor McCarthy as well as State’s Attorney Investigators Tim Black and Ken Keating for their outstanding efforts the past several weeks resulting in these charges.”

Elliot’s case will be in front of Judge Ann Celine O’Hallaren Walsh.

Members of the public are reminded that these complaints contain only charges and are not proof of the defendant’s guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Williams new Special Services coordinator

The Board of Education approved the appointment of Tiffany Williams as Special Services Coordinator, a new position to support families and students in specialized programs.

The new position was created to provide more dedicated availability and support to the district’s students, families, and staff within specialized programs and placements as the program continues to expand.

Williams will serve as the coordinator of the Developmental Learning Program (DLP) and outplacements and will begin July 27, 2023.

Williams stood out among the candidates for her passion for inclusion, her collaborative spirit, attention to detail, compassion and leadership.

She has served as a teacher in an elementary cross-categorical classroom and has served as a special education administrator for all special education students including those in life skills programming and transitional ser-

vices. For the last eight years she served as a Special Education Coordinator for East Aurora District 131, where she moved up as a special education teacher in two different buildings. In her work, she has piloted new programming, implemented new curriculum, led professional learning communities, conducted training, managed staff, facilitated Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and ensured IEPs are implemented with fidelity.

“Mrs. William’s leadership, varied experiences and perspectives provide a phenomenal foundation for the continued work of our DLP as we continue to refine our co-teaching model,” said Superintendent Dr. Kevin Russell.

She has a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Aurora University; a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from Concordia University, River Forest; and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Northern Illinois University.

“I am very excited to partner

with the DG58 community, parents, students, and staff to ensure that all students can meet their full potential.

“I know that I am joining a team that is truly dedicated to meeting each and every learner’s needs,” said Mrs. Williams.

She resides in Darien with her husband and two children, ages 3 and 1.

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Tackle box bait shop up and running at Hidden Lakes Trout Farm

After a year hiatus, the Tackle Box bait shop is up and running at Hidden Lakes Trout Farm in Bolingbrook.

When the Forest Preserve District of Will County acquired Hidden Oaks Preserve from the Bolingbrook Park District in February 2022, the old bait shop was torn down and a new one was constructed in its place. The new bait shop had a soft opening in May for a fishing derby and has been adding items ever since, said Angie Trobaugh, the Forest Preserve’s facility supervisor for Hidden Lakes and the adjacent Hidden Oaks Nature Center. Now that the credit card machine is working, the bait shop is fully functional.

“People enjoy the convenience of obtaining their fishing licenses at the bait shop as well as information on the Forest Preserve District,” she added. “And many just come up to the window to ask questions or shoot the breeze.”

Tackle Box bait shop hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through August. In September and October, bait shop hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The bait shop has running water and a bathroom with a flush toilet that is

open during bait shop hours.

Bait for sale includes large minnows, medium shiner minnows, a variety of worms, catfish magic bait, trout paste and catfish stink bait. Fishing tackle also is for sale ranging from fishing baskets and buckets to nets and bobbers. Fishing poles with closed face, spincast reels are available for use for the day for free, thanks to an Illinois Department of Natural Resources program.

Food items for sale are hot dogs, cheeseburgers, deli sandwiches, soda, water, chips, candy, crackers, Gatorade, hot chocolate, coffee, tea and ice cream. Ice cream and Gatorade are the most popular items so far, said bait shop clerk David Piotrowski, who worked for the bait shop when it was owned by the park district, too. And the number one question, as always, is, “What’s biting?” he said.

Piotrowski, who started fishing when he was 8, usually knows. “Sometimes I’ll suggest certain spots and if they catch one, they come back and almost want to kiss me,” he joked.

On a recent sunny July day, Tackle Box customers had only positive reviews. Christy Rustemeyer and Angela Karellas of Naperville stopped by for water on their walk from Whalon

Lake to Hidden Lakes Trout Farm. “I love that it’s environmentally friendly,” Karellas said of the water, which is sold in recyclable paper cartons.

Kimberly Hamblet of Bolingbrook visited the shop to get a fishing license. “It’s beautiful,” she said of the new bait shop. “I love the way it looks. It’s really nice, and I like the bathroom. It’s a major improvement and it’s more inviting.”

Trobaugh said the Tackle Box is a

“bustling convergence” for all kinds of activities since it is near Whalon Lake preserve, the DuPage River Trail and the DuPage River.

“We get bikers, hikers, runners, anglers, paddlers, families out to picnic, and more,” she said. “The Tackle Box is a one-stop shop for all of them. Whether you need an ice cream treat, general information, a map, minnows or a sandwich, our dedicated staff will take care of you. People are happy to

see David staffing and running the bait shop again. The seasonals we hired are dedicated and passionate. And we really have a great team out there, and I only expect greater things.”

Hidden Lakes Trout Farm is part of Hidden Oaks Preserve, which is located at 419 Trout Farm Road, north of Boughton Road. For more information on the Forest Preserve District of Will County, visit ReconnectWithNature. org.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Forest preserve District of Will county employee David piotrowski sells a carton of water to Naperville resident angela Karellas at the new Tackle box bait shop at Hidden Lakes Trout Farm in bolingbrook.