Park District Board announces 2024-25 capital plan update
The Bensenville Park District Board of Commissioners—President Rich Johnson, Vice President Val Karg, Secretary Nancy Gibbs, Treasurer Jay Snyder and Commissioner Christopher Hernandez—announced an update to its 2024-25 capital plan. The plan update includes improvements to the Deer Grove Leisure Center, White Pines infrastructure improvements and Veterans Park updates in addition to previously announced work at Sunrise Park, Fischer Farm, the Bensenville Water Park & Splash Pad and Arbor Park.
The Deer Grove Leisure Center (DGLC) will soon receive upgrades to the lighting in its parking lot, as the park district modernizes the light standards and replaces existing lighting with more efficient LED service. The facility recently had new automatic doors installed in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Upgrades to the Wood Street Fitness Center, located inside the DGLC, are planned for 2025.
White Pines projects include infrastructure (electric and water) relocation, asphalt improvements, security cameras and new signage. Additional upcoming projects include demolition of the driving range barn to be replaced at a later date. Parking lot improvements are planned for the Pine Room event space, located on Church Road, in the northwest corner of the club.
The Halfway House also received renovation to its bathrooms at the start of the season, and a new gaming room was constructed adjacent to the 37 Bar & Grill. Continued improvements for the club are planned in 2025.
Veterans Park updates will include the multi-phase installation of a dog park where the baseball
“ We are thankful to the support we’ve received in terms of state and community grants to help us execute our vision.”
– Rich Johnson, Board president
field is currently located. The dog park will have two separated areas based on the size/weight of the dog. The park will eventually include a dog water park and other amenities.
The historic locomotive and railroad museum will be updated for ADA compliance as well, with new ramps, sidewalks and entryways, making the facility more accessible. Work continues on the train itself. The building on the grounds will be rehabilitated and brought into ADA compliance with new bathrooms as well as a new roof, creating program space for both the railroad programs and also canine obedience/dog training programs in addition to a party space to be available for community use.
The park district plans for 2025 include a Rose Park playground improvement, Woodcrest Park playground addition and an upgrade to the Krempels Park playground, along with continued improvements at Fischer Farm.
“The Bensenville Park District is continuing to reinvest in its important community resources through the Bensenville Park District 2.0 initiative,” said Board president Rich Johnson. “This represents our
commitment to residents to provide activities and programming at firstclass facilities that can make our community proud. We are thankful to the support we’ve received in terms of state and community grants to help us execute our vision.”
Finances, future plans
The Park Board approved a $3.5 million capital expenditure for 2024-2025 at the board’s regular meeting Wednesday, April 17, in addition to another $1.4 million in grant funding. Improvements to
park district facilities announced at that time included Fischer Farm, Sunrise Park, Bensenville Water Park & Splash Pad and White Pines Golf Club, among other projects at Hyatt-Hubbard Park (driveway) and Arbor Park phase two improvements.
Improvements at many of these parks and facilities are already underway. At the Water Park, a new swimming pool basin was installed and slides were given an update, and a new water pump has also been installed. The pool house roof is planned to be replaced in 2025.
Baseball/softball infields were renovated at DiOrio Park. Outdoor basketball courts have also been resealed.
In 2023, the park district commissioned an assessment of each of the district’s park sites and facilities that included infrastructure, topography, vegetation, access, circulation, parking, drainage, current land use, play fields and exterior recreational spaces, open space, development constraints and other conditions for planning purposes.
For more information, visit BvilleParks.org.
Time for Tiny Tots
Fall registration is now open for Tiny Tot Preschool, which begins the week of Aug. 26 and runs through the week of May 23, 2025. For kids ages 3-5, this program covers language arts, math and science with hands-on activities, field trips and more. Join Mrs. B for a fun, nurturing prep for kindergarten.
Court grants state’s motion to detain Louisiana man accused of leading police on 120 mph high-speed chase in stolen vehicle
When arrested, authorities allegedly found defendant illegally in possession of a loaded 9mm Glock handgun
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Oak Brook Chief of Police Brian Strockis announced on Aug. 9 that Judge Joshua Dieden granted the state’s motion to deny pre-trial release for a Louisiana man accused of leading police on a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle while illegally in possession of a loaded handgun.
Aiden Coburn-Dishler
Aiden Coburn-Dishler, 20 of Lamont, Louisiana, appeared at First Appearance Court and was charged with one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon (Class 4 felony), one count of aid or abet the possession or sale of stolen vehicle or parts (Class 2 felony) and one count of aggravated fleeing and eluding a peace officer (Class 4 felony).
On Aug. 9 at approximately 1:22 a.m., an Oak Brook police officer attempted to stop a 2017 Cadillac CTS southbound on Midwest Road near 22nd Street, for allegedly driving without license plates or registration.
The officer activated his emergency lights and sirens, at which time the vehicle, allegedly driven by Coburn-Dishler, drove through a solid red light on 22nd Street and Midwest Road and then entered I-88 eastbound.
It is alleged that as officers pursued Coburn-Dishler he reached speeds of approximately 123 mph. It is further alleged that the pursuit continued onto I-290 near Mannheim Road, where another officer had set up spike strips to disable CoburnDishler’s vehicle.
It is alleged that Coburn-Dishler pulled over to the shoulder at I-290 and Mannheim,
exited the vehicle and led officers on a foot chase across multiple lanes of I-290 and Mannheim Road.
After a brief foot pursuit, officers took Coburn-Dishler into custody. It is alleged that when he was taken into custody, officers recovered a loaded Glock 17 Gen 4 handgun with a mounted laser scope and an extended magazine from a backpack Coburn-Dishler had with him. He was taken into custody at that time. Following further investigation into the matter, authorities learned that the Cadillac was reported stolen out of a dealership in Bloomington, Indiana.
“Public safety remains the top priority of not only my office, but also the top priority of law enforcement throughout DuPage County,” Berlin said. “The allegations that Mr. Coburn-Dishler led police on a dangerous, high-speed chase and then attempted to flee on foot while armed with a
loaded weapon are extremely alarming. This type of criminal behavior that needlessly puts the public in danger will not be tolerated in DuPage County. I thank the Oak Brook Police Department for their headsup work in this case and for the successful apprehension of the accused.”
“This is a textbook example of effective pro-active policing,” Strockis said. “Our officers recognized a vehicle they believed to be stolen and formulated a tactical plan to get the offender in custody. Criminals continue to have the false belief that they can flee from the police without consequence, but they often find out that’s not the case in Oak Brook and DuPage County. I’d like to thank our officers for continuing to keep our community safe from dangerous criminals.”
Coburn-Dishler had a court appearance scheduled Monday, Aug. 12, for arraignment in front of Judge Joseph Bugos.
Illinois further expands reproductive health care protections
By Dilpreet Raju Capitol News illiNois
Pritzker signs bills safeguarding various reproductive rights for residents, visitors of Illinois
Gov. JB Pritzker signed multiple bills expanding reproductive rights in Illinois last week, including codifying a federal law that allows medical professionals to perform an abortion in response to a clinical emergency.
Another bill bolsters Illinois’ interstate shield law that prohibits Illinois authorities from disclosing information, or using resources, to abet any interstate investigation into someone receiving abortion services within Illinois.
The final bill signed prohibits discrimination against people for their reproductive health decisions, including abortion, in vitro fertil -
ization and fertility treatment.
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2022 that overturned Roe v. Wade, states have had greater authority to curtail abortion access.
States with Democratic majorities, like Illinois, have sought to enact more protections for abortion and other reproductive health services, while Republican-led states have moved to impose bans or limitations on the procedure.
One federal law Illinois lawmakers sought to codify in case it is struck down is the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, or EMTALA, which allows practitioners to perform abortions in medical emergencies. The U.S.
Volunteers needed for Love
Your Neighbor Day Sept. 21
The Christian Church of Villa Park, along with other churches in Villa Park and Lombard, will again be working together on the 10th annual Love Your Neighbor Day on Saturday, Sept. 21. Applications for assistance are being received from homeowners in the Villa Park/Lombard area who are having difficulty keeping up with work outside their homes because of financial, physical or other limitations. Volunteers are now needed so that assistance can be provided to these homeowners on Love Your Neighbor Day 2024. Yard work and exterior home repairs will be done by small groups of volunteers from churches and the community at no cost to the homeowners. No specific skills are necessary for you to volunteer as much of the work to be done includes yardwork and exterior painting. However, those with carpentry and other specific skills can be assigned work that will put these skills to use.
Last year 120 volunteers came together on the Love Your Neighbor Day to provide assistance to 24 homeowners in Lombard and Villa Park. The number of homeowners who can be helped will depend on the number of volunteers who sign up to help.
Volunteer sign-up sheets can be obtained by sending an e-mail to loveyourneighbor15@yahoo.com, on the CCVP website at www. ccvponline.net, or by leaving a message at 630/833-7262. Information and photos from previous years can be seen on the Love Your Neighbor Day Facebook page. Volunteers are requested to submit sign-up sheets by Sept. 8, 2024.
Supreme Court declined to hear a case against EMTALA in June, although it could come back before the high court once it advances further in the lower courts.
Pritzker at the time called the high court’s decision a “small respite,” but he said it was also important to be proactive as a state in case of any further U.S. Supreme Court rulings.
“We can’t wait around and be reactive when the latest attacks come, the pro-choice majority in this country need to be proactive,” Pritzker said. “The three bills that I am signing today send a single, straightforward message: Illinois will always be a place where women have the freedom to make their own medical decisions.”
Chief sponsor of the EMTALA-codification bill , Rep. Dagmara Avelar, D-Bolingbrook, said the realities of medical emergencies are distant from the clashes of partisan politics.
“We recognize that a medical emergency like this knows no politics,” Avelar said. “A person in cri -
sis deserves care, not controversy.”
The bill also allows the Department of Public Health to investigate potential violations where medical practitioners fail to provide “stabilizing treatment” and issue fines at a minimum of $50,000.
Dr. Allison Cowett, medical director at Family Planning Associates Medical Group in Chicago, said her clinic is seeing more than double the number of out-of-state patients as compared to 2022.
“I will take care of patients from as close by as our West Loop neighborhood and as far away as Texas, border towns and the southern part of Florida,” she said.
Cowett maligned the situation for people experiencing unsafe or unwanted pregnancies in states where abortion is illegal.
“Some patients share their stories with me, they share their rage about what forced them to come to Illinois for basic medical care,” she said. “They were turned away because providers are afraid of criminalization and prosecution for even discussing abortion with a patient.
This is not what health care is supposed to be.”
Attorney General Kwame Raoul said Illinois’ protections will help people in nearby states that have enacted abortion restrictions.
“We have Indiana with a near abortion ban, near-total abortion ban, Missouri banning abortions without exception for rape and incest, Kentucky the same, and Iowa’s recently enacted six-week ban,” Raoul said. “That is horrific, but it lifts us up as a safe haven.” Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton said the laws passed are about expanding the state’s ability to take in more people seeking reproductive health care.
“Today is both beautiful and dumbfounding. As Gov. Pritzker protects doctors and empowers Illinois families, the governor of Iowa just signed a fetal heartbeat bill that will push Iowans into our home for health,” Stratton said, also adding, “We have to stretch our capacity to provide care, not just for the women of Illinois, but for all women in the Midwest and beyond.”
Garden club to feature program on birds
The Lombard Garden Club is pleased to announce that Pam Karlson will speak on “Birds in the Garden: Creating and Enjoying a Bird Oasis” at its Aug. 23 meeting.
This presentation features Karlson’s photos from the Chicago bird garden habitat she created, illustrating how it’s possible to attract over 100 bird species. Tips include landscape enhancements, practices and plant selection, with an emphasis on native plants.
Chicagoland’s location along the migratory route, bird species diversity, habitat, diet/foraging, nesting, supplemental support and community science will also be
discussed.
Doug Tallamy’s “Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard” includes Karlson’s garden habitat, exemplifying the power of urban lots.
Karlson is a career artist and certified professional gardener/garden designer through the School of the Chicago Botanic Garden. As a public speaker and educator, she advocates for wildlife habitat creation, restoration and preservation. In addition to her professional work, Pam has been rescuing migratory birds since 2004 as a volunteer with licensed wildlife rescue and
rehabilitation organizations. Please mark your calendars for Friday, Aug. 23, at 1 p.m. at the Lombard Community Building, 433 E. St. Charles Road in Lombard. There is no charge and the public is welcome to attend.
The Lombard Garden Club is an award-winning 98-year-old organization that promotes an interest in gardening and the beautification of the landscape in our community. The club welcomes fellow gardeners who enjoy learning opportunities and the company of others. Please check the club’s website for details at www.lombardgardenclub. org.
Man sentenced to 31 years for armed home invasion
Joseph Covington
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin has announced that Judge Joseph Bugos has sentenced Joseph Covington, 28, formerly of Chicago, to 31 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections following his guilty plea to one count of home invasion (Class X felony) on April 3.
On Dec. 21, 2022, Covington appeared in bond court where Judge Brian Telander ordered he be held without bond. He has remained in custody at the DuPage County Jail since that time.
On the morning of Nov. 26, 2019, officers from the Darien Police Department responded to a residence on Belair Drive for a report of a
home invasion. Upon their arrival, officers met with the victim, a female who was home alone from college that morning.
Following an investigation, authorities learned that at approximately 9 a.m., after hearing a knock at the front door, the victim looked out her bedroom window into the backyard and noticed an individual wearing an orange utility vest and black ski mask.
As the victim turned around in her bedroom, she was confronted by another individual wearing dark clothing and a black ski mask, pointing a black and silver handgun at her. The masked individual forced the victim downstairs at gunpoint where she was confronted by three additional male subjects wearing masks.
The masked individuals, one of which was later identified as Covington, demanded to know where
money was located inside the home. Authorities also learned through their investigation that after repeated phone calls by the victim’s mother to the victim went unanswered, the masked individuals instructed the victim to answer her mother’s call and tell her everything was alright. After that conversation, the victim’s mother contacted a neighbor who went to the residence, and after the victim opened the door at the instruction of the intruders, the neighbor was able to pull the victim out of the residence and call 911.
Officers along with a K-9 Unit arrived at the scene and were able to track the intruder’s path through backyards they took when fleeing the residence. Officers located a .40 caliber black and silver handgun loaded with thirteen rounds along a fence line in a neighbor’s yard as well as various clothing items of ev-
identiary value along the way.
A short time later, officers responded to a nearby Taco Bell parking lot for an individual who matched the description of the offenders, later identified as Covington. He was taken into custody at this time.
“I cannot begin to imagine the unspeakable terror the victim, who was home alone from college at the time, must have felt when she saw a masked man in her backyard and then was confronted by another armed, masked man in her bedroom,” Berlin said. “Our homes are our sanctuaries, and we all deserve to feel safe and secure at home. Mr. Covington not only stole the comfort and protection a home provides from his victim and her family, but also left an entire community on edge, concerned about their own wellbeing.”
DuPage County Health Department encourages parents to schedule back-to-school vaccinations
August is National Immunization Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to ensure your child is up to date with their routine vaccinations.
The DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) urges parents to prioritize vaccinations on their backto-school checklist. Illinois immuni-
zation requirements for children and adolescents enrolling in childcare or school align with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations.
For more information, see the IDPH 2024-2025 School Immunization Requirements.
Willowbrook Wildlife Center renamed DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center
Newly rebranded center to open later this year
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is excited to announce that its nationally renowned wildlife treatment and education center in Glen Ellyn—formerly known as Willowbrook Wildlife Center—will reopen as the DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center at Willowbrook Forest Preserve this fall.
The new moniker highlights the center’s renewed emphasis on conservation and encompasses the wide range of other wildlife-related activities conducted there, including rehabilitation, propagation of endangered and threatened species, and public education about peaceful coexistence with our animal neighbors. The new name also firmly establishes the center in DuPage County, which is important as its national reputation continues to grow.
Currently undergoing extensive improvements as part of the Forest Preserve District’s 2019 master plan, the center will feature a new 27,000-square-foot wildlife rehabilitation clinic and visitor center, the district’s first net-zero designed building. This facility will generate more energy from renewable resources than it consumes, setting a new sustainability standard in the region.
Key features of the new DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center include new outdoor and indoor animal rehabilitation areas, interactive educational exhibits on the wildlife rehabilitation process, an outdoor classroom, an interpretive trail with wildlife observation areas, and outdoor activity spaces that demonstrate how to attract and live harmoniously with native wildlife.
Existing staff offices will later be converted to lab space for expanded propagation of endangered and threatened species at the center.
The animal admittance area remains open throughout construction, ensuring continued care for injured and orphaned wildlife during the renovation period. The visitor center is slated to reopen to the public in late 2024.
This is not the first name change for the center. It was originally named Willow Brook in 1956 as a nod to Glencrest Creek that flows through the preserve and later renamed Willowbrook Wildlife Center in 1993.
The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that children catch up on routine childhood vaccinations to stay on track for childcare, school, and beyond.
“Vaccinations are critical for protecting students from contagious and preventable diseases. Now, with a few weeks left before school starts, it’s time for kids to get the recommended shots.” said Adam Forker, executive director, DuPage County Health Department.
Immunizations are among the most effective, safe, and cost-efficient public health tools available for preventing disease and premature death.
By ensuring children receive ontime vaccinations, we can prevent diseases such as measles, whooping cough (pertussis), chickenpox, mumps, influenza, and COVID-19.
DCHD reminds parents to schedule and discuss routine vaccinations with their children’s primary care provider. Additionally, childhood immunizations are available at DCHD through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program for all children who are uninsured, have insurance that does not cover immunizations, or are Medicaid-eligible. The VFC program helps eligible children get their vaccines at no cost according to the recommended immunization schedule, which has significantly increased childhood immunization coverage levels and helped eliminate disparities in vaccination coverage among young children.
Additional VFC providers can be found through the VFC Provider Search. For more information about the VFC program, call DCHD at (630) 682-7400.
Park District seeks vendors, sponsors for Harvest Fest
Annual Fischer Farm event returns Oct. 5
The Bensenville Park District is seeking arts and crafts vendors—in addition to local sponsors—for its Harvest Fest, which is scheduled to take place noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at Fischer Farm, 16W680 Old Grand Ave.
“We are excited to have Harvest Fest return to Fischer Farm for a day full of fun-filled activities and music,” said farm manager Christine Shiel. “Since this is a community event, we are in need of local vendors and sponsors to help us make this year’s Harvest Fest a memorable one for all who attend.”
Local arts and crafts vendors are sought to sell homemade arts and crafts, pottery, furniture, antiques, primitives, salvaged and vintage goods, jewelry, clothing, makeup, health and wellness products. The $25 vendor registration fee re -
serves a 12’x12’ outdoor location at the event. Tents, chairs, electrical, and tables are not provided. Vendor applications may be found at the event website, BvilleParks.org/ HarvestFest.
Last year’s event drew several thousand people and featured live music, food and drink and family-friendly activities such as a pumpkin patch, bounce houses, art vendors, crafts and carnival games in addition to the popular Subie World, presented by Grand Subaru. Sponsors are also sought at many different levels and are available for activities, events and areas of the festival.
Contact Paul Palian, ppalian@ bvilleparks.org, for more information. For more information about the event, visit BvilleParks.org/ HarvestFest.
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Opinion
Slices of life
The meaning of life
Our search for meaning is nearly as old as time.
I’ve been round and round and round again (and again) with widowhood. To say I overthink it is the understatement of understatements.
It seems like something this big and this life-changing should have meaning.
Big meaning.
I can’t imagine going through what this has put me through without it having meaning. Purpose. Immense purpose.
Without that it would be such a waste. That would be even more sad than losing my person.
And that feels devastating.
To be honest—and I can say this now that I am out of the dark, suffocating cloud that encompasses the center of grief—now that I am nearly on the other side (and I’m not sure there really is another side) I’m surprised I survived.
I’m glad I did. I think I’m glad. I wouldn’t have wanted to give up or to die, but at times it felt like death, or maybe something close to death or maybe something much worse than death.
Because based on what I believe now, death is pretty awesome. It is a gateway to the spectacular. And we all will love it when we get there.
But that isn’t supposed to be now. At least not for the most of us.
So we grapple with life—the struggles of it all and the meaning therein.
Because we all struggle. We all deal with our own struggles.
And each one of them seems so personal at the time. Because it is, but then again, is isn’t. None of them are.
Because as personal as my struggle has been, there a lot of widows and widowers who are traveling through the turmoil that is grief.
Many people struggle with mental health issues. Likewise (sadly) for people with cancer and other diseases. There are lots who are physically or cognitively disabled. There is abuse and neglect, poverty, homelessness and hunger. Many struggle with pain we all can see and even more with pain we can’t.
There are so many ways to challenge the joy-filled happiness we all
By Jill PErtlEr Columnist
believe is supposed to comprise life.
We struggle collectively and we struggle individually while we search for a purpose to it all.
What does all this mean—for me, for the people I love, for the world at large? And why?
Why the need for the pain? The suffering. The despair. The confusion. The loss. Being lost.
What is the purpose of it all? Shouldn’t there be a purpose? A meaning?
Perhaps pain is a teaching moment. Perhaps it is an integral part of the purpose.
Boy, wouldn’t that suck? But it does make sense.
Maybe, pain is growth. Maybe it can lead to clarity.
Clarity regarding the small stuff; none of it matters. Clarity regarding the big stuff; none of it matters.
Our suffering is real. My suffering has been real. I will never deny that.
Oftentimes, suffering, in its specificity, feels personal. It feels like we are the only one, when that just isn’t true.
We all struggle. We all suffer. We are all outcasts—in some form - at one time or another.
And it is what we do with that and because of that—for ourselves and for others—inward and outward, that propels us forward or backward or somewhere in-between.
It is what helps us define the meaning. It helps us find the meaning. Perhaps it is the meaning. The purpose— to move beyond and through the suffering to understand none of us is in this alone. We are all here together.
Perhaps that itself is the answer to my original question.
Jill Pertler is an award-winning syndicated columnist, published playwright and author. Don’t miss a slice; follow the Slices of Life page on Facebook.
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Rock Valley Publishing encourages our readers to reach out to the community by writing a letter to the editor. Letters are limited to 400 words If a letter exceeds 400 words, it will be sent back to the author to reduce the length of the letter. Authors must include their first and last name, the city or village in which they reside, and a phone number and email address where they can be reached in case there are questions. Send letters to: news1@rvpublishing.com
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We reserve the right to edit a letter for reasons of clarity, space restrictions and libel
Conversation on the importance of civic engagement with Gen Z voters
By U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi
I joined The Hill’s Mychael Schnell, former Illinois Congressman Peter Roskam, and A Starting Point co-founders
Chris Evans and Mark Kassen recently in Chicago for a bipartisan discussion on the importance of participating in our democracy and in broader civic engagement.
It was a pleasure to meet with so many students from the BridgeUSA organization, many of whom will be voting in their first presidential election in November.
Every vote matters, and it is our duty as Americans to participate in our democracy and make our voices heard and represented.
Examining the CCP’s Great Firewall and its techno-authoritarian state
The Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) recently held a hearing on the danger posed by the CCP’s efforts to censor and monitor all information coming into and out of the country.
The internet is designed to connect people from around the world, promoting the exchange of ideas and information freely. But for those living within the People’s Republic of China, this right is being
denied by the CCP, which is using the internet to divide and suppress its people by cutting off their connection to the outside world and only promoting content and ideas that the CCP wants its citizens to see.
The CCP has also stifled conversations about human rights and democracy within the PRC, painting the U.S. and our allies as aggressors and spreading anti-democratic propaganda to keep its citizens in line with the authoritarian regime. This, coupled with the CCP’s estimated 500 million surveillance cameras in use throughout the country, has allowed the regime to maintain a stranglehold on its population.
As Ranking Member of the Committee, what is equally concerning is the spread of this type of techno-authoritarian state to other nations around the world. Xi Jinping has said that the countries that control the internet will win the world, and many other leaders, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, have taken steps to restrict online freedoms in a similar manner.
The U.S. cannot allow this model to continue to spread, and we must continue to work with our partners and allies to counter the efforts of the CCP to export its Great Firewall idea to other nations.
Working to protect the
United States Postal Service
I joined with Robert Weissman, co-president of public interest at Public Citizen, in authoring a letter in the Washington Post on the current
state of the United States Postal Service (USPS).
Under Postmaster General DeJoy’s struggling strategic plan, customers of the Postal Service have seen relentless rate hikes. July 14 marked the fifth increase in three years, affecting broad categories of popular mail products, including first-class mail, newspapers, magazines, catalogs, and more. Package prices have also been raised significantly, and the price of the first-class “forever” stamp is now 73 cents. These recent price increases total more than 184 percent of inflation, leaving small businesses and customers racing to keep up with higher prices, even in the face of declining service standards and slower delivery times. The Postal Regulatory Commission, charged with oversight of the USPS, noted in its recent comments on the rate hikes that “the Commission is concerned, given the current state of affairs, that the Postal Service’s proposal does not reflect reasoned consideration of the potential widespread effects of its proposal, is not prudent, and is not consistent with the best interest of all stakeholders.”
Our country needs a reliable, affordable postal system for everyone. Contrary to the title of Louis DeJoy’s strategy for the USPS, his current leadership is not “delivering for America.”
Raja Krishnamoorthi represents the 8th Congressional District of Illinois, which includes part of Addison, Wood Dale and Bensenville.
Good afternoon, Lombard calling. I know I’ve seen this and Speak Out before but I can’t remember the answer. On Main Street at the Prairie Path in Lombard, are cars supposed to stop for bicycles and pedestrians, or are the bicycles and pedestrians supposed to wait to cross traffic? I almost rear-ended the guy in front of me who came to a complete stop when some bicycles approached. It just reminded me; I don’t remember. Appreciate any input. Thank you. Goodbye.
* * *
I was driving south on West Road and a bicyclist just zipped on across the street from the Great Western Trail, without stopping at the stop sign. I get that walkers, runners and bikers want to gain momentum, keep up the pace or whatever it is they are trying to accomplish, but the stop signs are there at the crossings for a reason. West Road does not have the flashing lights like on Main Street, so it was a good thing I was paying attention because this person never even slowed down or stopped at the stop sign, and did not look in either direction for approaching vehicles. I was thankfully able to brake in time. Maybe whoever maintains the trail and Prairie Path needs to put up bigger stop signs so that users know it really means S.T.O.P.
* * *
Editor’s note: The following is a response from the Lombard Police Department, which recommends reading the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Rules of the Road.
“According to IDOT guidance, vehicles are required to stop for pedestrians once they are IN the crosswalk. However, pedestrians should choose a safe moment to cross. For more detailed informa-
tion on pedestrian laws, please refer to the IDOT pedestrian guide.
“Bicycles are subject to the same traffic laws as motor vehicles. While there are no specific laws addressing bicycles in crosswalks, cyclists who dismount and walk their bikes across the street are considered pedestrians, and the same laws apply. For more information on bicycle laws, please refer to this resource (isp.illinois. gov/StaticFiles/docs/TrafficResources/5-035.pdf) from the Illinois State Police.”
Hello, Lombard here. I’m surprised and disappointed that Lombard Public Works is not picking up cut branches from the recent storms. Many residents have piled the smaller branches on their parkways, after spending considerable money for professionals to cut and remove large branches from their house or garage. Even though the village has a budget, one would expect that there are some discretionary funds to assist residents with extraordinary events.
Editor’s note: The following is a response from the Village of Lombard: “The nature and extent of the village response following storm damage is guided by the Board of Trustees Policy on Debris Management. Under the current policy, the July 15, 2024, storm was categorized as a Local Response based on the extent of the damage. Under a Local Response, while the village collects tree limbs and fallen branches resulting from storm damage to trees within the public right-ofway, storm debris and branches from private property are to be bundled, stickered, and collected separately by Waste Management.
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• All calls are checked by four editors. If a consensus of editors believes a particular call is deemed to be in poor taste, erroneous, inaccurate, libelous, doesn’t make sense, or if claims stated in a call cannot be verified, the call will not be published.
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“We sympathize with everyone affected by this most recent storm and understand the frustration that may have come with learning that the current policy did not extend to storm debris from trees on private property. We recognize that this may have been disappointing, but please know that the village is reviewing the current policy and considering modifications to better address the needs of our community during future weather events.”
* * *
Last week while driving, I heard Dan Proft say what many of us are thinking. First, he reminded listeners with a sound byte that our next potential president, Kamala Harris, has a cacophonous laugh, like that of a hyena. If she gets elected I will mute the TV whenever she appears. It is like nails on a chalkboard. What, Mrs. Harris, do you always find so funny? But even more to the important point, he called her a “dingbat.” I almost swerved from laughing so hard. That is an insult to Edith Bunker.
* * *
The modern-day concept of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) reminds me of what was called “affirmative action” in the 1960s. My father worked for a well-known company, and as a kid, I remember him talking about having to hire “minorities” simply because they were in a minority group. Was he racist? No. He was saying he wanted to hire the most qualified individuals for the job, period. Plain and simple, qualifications matter.
* * *
Maybe I am selfish, but if it means I get to keep more of my own money by not being forced to subsidize medical care, housing and other free stuff for illegals— while we have so many citizens in need—or be on the hook for student loans of those who signed on to pay them back, I will take the conservative path every time. Living in blue Illinois is bad enough with the high gasoline and property taxes; and now having to wait until 2026 to get a break from the 1 percent grocery tax. Our governor wants to expand Medicaid, but ask anyone on Medicaid, as one family member was, how easy it is (not) to have access to the same quality medical and dental providers as people who have other health insurance. They are few and far between. I am all
for social programs to give people a hand up, and I have been charitable with helping out the less fortunate when I had more disposable income, but now, as a senior on a semi-fixed income, I resent that my hard-earned tax dollars go toward handouts. These tax-sucking liberals are slowly draining me out of my home of over 30 years in Lombard.
* * *
I get a kick out of some of the items in the weekly police blotter, like “activities” that were observed in two different parks; then, oh my gosh. In the Aug. 8 police report, someone called the police to say they saw some people in a vehicle who “did not appear to be normal.” I had to laugh. First of all, what is even normal anymore? Were they mooning the caller? Make funny faces? Smoking crack? Aliens from outer space? Personally, I rarely look at other drivers because I try to mind my own business, but please, complainant, tell us more.
* * *
Trump says he wants all “Christians” to vote just this once, but he also said he is not a “Christian.” What? He holds and sells Bibles. He is using religion to get votes and then will forget the word Christian.
* * *
Let’s talk lemonade instead of politics! I’ve seen several kids’ lemonade stands this summer. I’ll stop at every one, buy a glass, and talk with the kids. Some do it for themselves, but many do it as a fundraiser for a cause. Please stop next time you see one, you’ll be glad you did!
* * *
I am a middle school student attending Glenn Westlake Middle School. I live on the north side of Lombard. I would rather take my bike to school than to get driven or to take the bus because of environmental impact and health reasons. However, because the middle school is so far south, it is very difficult to get there on a bicycle. The east-west service in Lombard is all right because of a bike lane on Madison Street, the Prairie Path, and the Great Western Trail. But even a basic bike lane along Main Street would be great for connectivity throughout the town, and it could act as the “spine” of a network if Lombard does end up creating more bike routes, such as along Maple, Wilson, Finley, Grace or maybe even St. Charles or Westmore-Meyers.
Everyone had better know exactly what Trump and the Republican Party have in store for us should they win the election. It is contained in Project 2025. Here are a few of their mandates to make you aware of what the catastrophic consequences of their actual agenda will be: a complete ban on abortions without exceptions, page 449 to 503; elimination of unions and worker protections, page 581; defund the FBI and Homeland Security, page 133; eliminate federal agencies like FDA, EPA, NOAA, pages 363 to 417; cut Social Security, page 691; cut Medicare, page 449; eliminate the Department of Education, page 319; teach Christian religious beliefs in public schools, page 319; use public taxpayer money for private religious schools, page 319; end the Affordable Care Act, page 449; additional tax breaks for corporations and the 1%, page 691; end climate protections, page 417; increase Arctic drilling, page 363—goodbye polar bears—deregulate big business and the oil industry page, 363. For all of our sakes, look into it for yourself.
I read a recent column by John Kass, the former Chicago Tribune columnist, on his website Johnkassnews.com. He summed up what today’s Democratic Party is in a nutshell. He said the Democratic Party is, quote, “Driven to destroy the political system, the party that destroys old icons and statues, the party that changes the foundational dates, from 1776 to 1619, the party that whips up racial animosity as they did during the insurrectionary Black Lives Matter riots of 2020. The party that sells abortions as freedom.” I couldn’t agree with him more!
I’ve received two requests from “Discover Card” (scammers) for my Social Security number in one week. Should I also give them my date of birth and credit card number?
If this upcoming election was about how the policies of Biden and Harris have hurt this country over the last four years, as it should be, then Harris loses handily in November. But it won’t be. It will be about Donald Trump and abortion. Never underestimate the hatred out there for Trump and the many hard-core fanatics who worship at the altar of abortion on demand.
Police department releases speed awareness enforcement campaign results
The Lombard Police Department recently conducted a traffic safety campaign throughout the month of July, reminding motorists to slow down to save lives.
During the campaign, Lombard Police increased their patrols to enforce posted speed limits with a focus on roadways that experience the most speed violations and residential areas. Their efforts yielded the following:
• 193 speeding citations
• 9 distracted driving (cell phone) citations
• 4 seatbelt citations
• 3 child seat safety citations
• 40 other citations (moving/non-moving)
• 5 traffic-related arrests (no valid/suspended/ revoked licenses)
• 2 criminal arrests
• 2 DUI (driving under the influence) arrests
The speed enforcement awareness effort was conducted by the Lombard Police Department in partnership with the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police, and more than 200 local law enforcement agencies in a coordinated effort to reduce speeds and increase safety on our streets.
The campaign was made possible by federal traffic safety funds administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation.
out& about
U of I Extension to offer fall gardening topics
Webinars are designed for gardeners of all levels
Fall is right around the corner, but the desire to tend to plants, flowers and greenery doesn’t end with the changing seasons, which is why the University of Illinois Extension has designed a series of topics that offer relevant tips and ideas in its Four Seasons Gardening webinars.
Jenna Braasch, media communications coordinator for the Illinois Extension, said horticulture educators “look at trending topics” when they come up with seasonal webinars, and often pose the question, “What do you want to learn more about?”
“ par ticipants will gain a foundational knowledge of landscape design principles. t he webinar offers ways to explore design styles and acquire the confidence to begin personalizing a landscape. t his webinar is more about getting people to start at the basics. It can be overwhelming.”
–Jenna Braasch, media communications coordinator for the Illinois Extension
She said the state-level Extension offers these programs because while there is an Extension office in every county, “Not every county has a horticulture educator,” so the state Extension makes these webinars available for anyone to view.
The first session, on Sept. 10, is “Designing Stunning, Personal Landscapes,” which will be led by Extension Educator Emily Swihart.
Braasch explained in a news release that this is a way to “start with the basics of landscape design to create a beautiful and functional outdoor space.”
“Participants will gain a foundational knowledge of landscape design principles,” she continued, adding that the webinar offers ways to “explore design styles and acquire the confidence to begin personalizing a landscape.”
This webinar, Braasch said, is “more about getting people to start at the basics. It can be overwhelm-
As autumn approaches, the University of Illinois Extension is offering its latest Four Seasons Gardening webinar,
scaping, creating a terrarium and enjoying the outdoors and nature that surrounds us.
ing.”
She said the educator will touch on “how plants can be considered a design [and] help with going into winter.”
“People are already planning for next year’s garden,” Braasch said with a laugh.
“Discover the Benefits of Engaging with Nature,” also with Swihart, is the topic for Oct. 8, and doesn’t involve planting or maintaining anything, but instead is designed to have participants think about how to stay in touch with nature and the outdoors.
That is, “Explore what we are missing when we lose our connection to nature, and gain inspiration that will help to prioritize nature
connections, even as winter approaches and day lengths shorten,” Braasch described.
She further said that it’s about “being able to feel nature around you and appreciate it more; identifying the idea of what nature already gives us [and] to get outside. Winter is approaching.”
Finally, “Create Winter Terrariums” on Nov. 12, led by Bruce Black, will explore how terrariums “are wonderful accents for a home all year round,” Braasch stated in the release. “Live plants in a terrarium add color and serve as a reminder that spring is not far away.”
“We’re showing people big to small,” Braasch said of the choices in creating a terrarium, and she
thinks that these can be created not only for one’s home, but as gifts; “the idea that terrariums can be enjoyed in your home.”
Braasch also said creating terrariums is “something a family can do together.”
Each session will begin at 1:30 p.m., and registration is required.
The programs will be recorded and become available on the Illinois Extension Horticulture YouTube channel (https://www.youtube. com/channel/UCEYBGqFXZS6Sn37n1mVcY1g) about two weeks after the live program.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, contact: “Personalized Landscapes,” Nancy Kreith, at kreith@illinois.edu;
“Engaging with Nature,” Gemini Bhalsod, at gbhalsod@illinois.edu; and “Create Terrariums,” Andrew Holsinger at aholsing@illinois.edu. Early requests are strongly encouraged in order to meet access needs. To register, visit go.illinois.edu/ FourSeasons.
Braasch said the idea of these webinars is about “coming together across the state to provide [access] to everyone,” adding, “Every one of these programs is free.” She summed up the Four Seasons Gardening series by posing the challenge: “How do you keep the growing going?”
Information on the winter webinars will be featured when it becomes available.
IllInoIs ExtEnsIon photo Rock Valley Publishing
which includes land-
Three Boy Scout Troop 51 of Lombard scouts have earned Eagle rank since 2021
Boy Scout Troop 51 of Lombard has awarded the rank of Eagle Scout to 14 scouts over the past seven years. Three Troop 51 scouts—Cooper Wooldridge, Lance Mueller and Aiden Gaski—have earned the rank of Eagle Scout since 2021. Wooldridge was awarded Eagle Scout last month, while Mueller earned the Eagle Scout rank in August 2023. Gaski earned his Eagle Scout rank in June 2021. Pictured here, top row (left to right): Lance Mueller, Alec Schulze, Dominic Covelli, Zane Sherman and Ryan Kropidlowski. Middle row: Cooper Wooldridge, Adam Dynako, Alex Pope and Peter Luchetta-Stendel. Bottom row: Peter Busack, Alec Schulze, Darren Metcalf, Joe Kedzuch and Aiden Gaski. Joining the Boy Scouts offers a range of benefits that extend well beyond outdoor skills. Scouts gain valuable life skills through merit badges and hands-on activities, such as first aid, leadership, and teamwork. The program fosters a sense of responsibility and civic duty, encouraging participants to engage in community service and personal development. Additionally, Scouts build lifelong friendships and connections with peers and mentors, while developing resilience and self-confidence through challenging experiences. Overall, the Boy Scouts provides a foundation for personal growth and future success. You don’t have to be a Cub Scout to join Boy Scouts. If you are interested in learning more about Scouts and Troop 51 feel free to attend a meeting. Meetings are held on Monday evenings, starting at 7 p.m. at the First Church of Lombard once school starts up again.
Judge orders detention of 3 Chicago juveniles charged with attempted carjacking/possession of a stolen motor vehicle
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Downers Grove Chief of Police Michael DeVries have announced that three male Cook County juveniles, two 14-yearolds and one 15-year-old, accused of attempt vehicular hijacking (Class 2 felony) will be detained until at least their next court appearance.
All three juveniles also face misdemeanor charges of criminal damage to property and obstructing a police officer.
Additionally, two of the juveniles, one of the 14-year-olds and the 15-year-old, are charged with one count of possession of a stolen motor vehicle (Class 2 felony). The
Police Reports
The Addison and Bensenville police departments recently reported the following arrests and citations. Persons who are charged with domestic battery are not named in order to protect the victim’s privacy. Readers are reminded that an arrest does not constitute a conviction, and that suspects are considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Juveniles age 17-or-younger are not named.
Addison
July 30
Josue A. Guadarrama-Bustos, 39, of Addison, was charged with two counts of DUI and operating windshield wipers without headlights near Lake and Maple at 12:42 a.m.
Carlos E. Soval Reveles, 34, of Glendale Heights, was charged with possession of a controlled substance in the 1700 block of W. Army Trail at 8:57 p.m.
July 29
Agustin Calixto Simon, 28, of Addison, was charged with two counts of DUI, driving while license expired and using an electronic communication device near Lake and Swift at 10:26 p.m.
Francisco Juan-Francisco, 36, of Addison, was charged with DUI, driving while license expired and illegal transportation/possession of liquor in the 300 block of W. Fullerton at 10:16 p.m.
Rodrigo Gomez, 28, of Addison, was charged with reckless conduct and cruelty to animals in the 400 block of N. Addison at 12:02 a.m.
July 28
Cristian O. Gonzalez, 29, and Eulalio R. Lopez Ramos, 21, both of Addison, were charged with battery in the 300 block of W. Dale at 1:35 a.m.
July 27
A 19-year-old Addison man was charged with domestic battery, consumption of liquor by a minor and violation of the litter control act near Elizabeth and Valerie at 11:36 p.m.
July 26
Ivan Guerrero, 31, of Addison, was charged with DUI, disregarding
juveniles each appeared at a detention hearing where Judge Demetrius Panoushis ordered they be detained. A fourth juvenile allegedly involved in the incident has been identified but is not yet in custody.
It is alleged that on Aug. 3 at approximately 12:30 a.m., Downers Grove authorities received a call from a female motorist alleging that four individuals, later identified as the juveniles, attempted to carjack her vehicle.
Following an investigation into the matter, it is alleged that prior to the 911 call, the juveniles went to a Downers Grove parking deck, broke the rear window of a 2018 Hyund-
ai Elantra and attempted to start the vehicle. After they were unable to start the vehicle, it is alleged that the juveniles then blocked the road in downtown Downers Grove and when the driver came to a stop, they surrounded her car and pulled on the door handles.
It is further alleged that the juveniles slapped the car window and kicked the door, called the woman a “b----” and yelled at the woman to get out of the car. It is alleged that when the woman called 911, they fled on foot, at which time the woman drove away.
A short time later, officers located the juveniles near Maple Avenue and
Main Street. It is alleged that upon seeing the officers, the juveniles ran, and officers were only able to detain one of the juveniles. Through further investigation, officers were able to identify the other three juveniles allegedly involved.
It is alleged that later that morning, at approximately 4 a.m., the three juveniles went back to the Downers Grove parking deck and stole a 2017 Hyundai Tucson. The vehicle was recovered by the Chicago Police Department on Aug. 6 in the 6200 block of Eberhart Avenue. Three of the four juvenile suspects have been taken into custody.
of their age, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I commend the Downers Grove Police Department for their outstanding work in identifying the suspects in this case and I thank the Chicago Police Department for their assistance in taking the suspects into custody.”
an official traffic control device and obstructed windshield or front-side window near Addison and Sidney at 1:24 a.m.
July 25
Armando Herrera Covarrubias, 37, of Northlake, was charged with DUI in the 1500 block of W. Lake at 3:18 a.m.
July 24
A 38-year-old Addison woman was charged with two counts of domestic battery in the 900 block of E. Lake at 5:09 p.m.
Bensenville
Aug. 7, 7:16 p.m. in the 1100 block of Brookwood Street, a delayed criminal trespass to motor vehicle from Aug. 5 was reported.
Aug. 7, 7:55 p.m. in the 1000 block of Glendale Street, a delayed criminal trespass to motor vehicle from Aug. 5 was reported.
Aug. 6 11:35 a.m. in the 800 block Industrial Drive, a complainant reported a known suspect attempted to pass two fraudulent checks (one counterfeit and one altered). In total amount of $11,100.
Aug. 5, 9:04 a.m. in the 900 block of Medinah Street, a complainant reported that her vehicle was rummage through.
Aug. 5, 9:05 a.m. in the 1200 block of Glendale Street, a complainant reported his two vehicles were unlocked and rummaged through. A vehicle diagnostic scanner from 10 years ago was taken, unknown current value. BEPC2400643
Aug. 5, 9:32 a.m. in the 1200 block of Glendale Street, a complainant reported his vehicle was unlocked and rummaged through overnight, various gift cards were taken.
Aug. 5, 3:36 p.m. in the 1200 block of Glendale Street, a complainant reported that his daughter’s wallet was stolen from her vehicle last night.
Aug. 5, 7:36 p.m. in the 800 block of S. York Road, Dashawn J. Foreman, 20, of Chicago, was arrested for possession of controlled substance. He was later released without charges pending lab results.
Aug. 5, 2:47 a.m. in the 1100
block of W. Irving Park Road, the clerk at a gas station reported a white male was found behind the counter removing Lottery tickets. The unknown suspect last seen east on Irving Park Road on foot.
Aug. 5, 6:02 a.m. in the 300 block of E. Green St., police said Brandon L. Feliciano, 31, of Chicago, turned himself in on a driving while under the influence of alcohol warrant from 2020.
Aug. 4, 5:22 p.m. near W. Hillside Drive and Poppy Lane, a juvenile was arrested for driving while under the influence of alcohol and no valid driver’s license.
Aug. 4, 3:16 p.m. in the 1100 block of Grove Avenue, police said Christina M. Owens, 47, of Bensenville, was arrested for a failure to appear warrant with no bond and transported to the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office.
Aug. 3, 11:34 a.m. in the 1000 block of S. Addison St., Carols Garcia Funes, 20, of Bensenville, was arrested for disorderly conduct and public possession of alcohol. Yoni L. Gomez Lopez, 19, of Bensenville, was arrested for disorderly conduct and public possession of alcohol.
Aldry D. Garcia, 19, of Bensenvile, was arrested for disorderly conduct and public possession of alcohol.
Aug. 3, 1:32 p.m. in the 100 block of George Street, a complainant reported their Amazon packages were stolen on July 26.
Aug. 1, 8:39 a.m. in the 300 block of E. Green St., police said Julian Rios, 28, of Melrose Park, was arrested on an original warrant out of Bensenville.
Aug. 1, 10:26 AM, in the 300 block of E. Green St., a 64-year-old Bensenville man was arrested for an outstanding domestic battery warrant.
July 31, 9:56 a.m. in the 800 block of Grove Avenue, a complainant reported his vehicles were rummaged through sometime on July 29. Nothing was taken from the vehicle. This incident is under investigation.
BEPC2400632
July 31, 5:45 p.m. in the 400 block of S. Center St., a complainant came back from vacation and observed his vehicle to be rummaged through. Nothing of value was taken.
“At just 14 and 15 years old, the juveniles charged in this case now find themselves facing multiple serious felony charges,” Berlin said. “In DuPage County we have zero tolerance for such violent behavior, and anyone accused of such, regardless
“I would like to thank our Investigations Division for their diligence in identifying and apprehending the juveniles involved in this case,” DeVries said. “I’d also like to thank the Chicago Police Department and DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and his office for their assistance in bringing this case to a successful conclusion.”
The next court appearance for two of the juveniles is scheduled for Aug. 15, while the next court date for the remaining juvenile is scheduled for Aug. 14. The juveniles’ cases will be heard in front of Judge Panoushis.
Glowiak Hilton law prohibits pharmacies from refusing paper prescriptions
In order to make medication more accessible to Illinoisans, state Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton’s new law prohibits pharmacists from refusing to fill a written prescription.
“Pharmacies must accept doctors’ prescriptions for approved medication regardless of how the prescription is sent to them,” said Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “Every Illinoisan deserves the right to their medication when they need it.”
In response to the opioid epidemic, Illinois passed a law in 2021 requiring prescriptions of controlled substance to be sent electronically. However, some pharmacists have
been refusing to fill non-electronic prescriptions despite exceptions under the law. Glowiak Hilton’s new measure will clarify this process by prohibiting pharmacists from refusing to fill paper or non-electronic prescriptions.
“Denying someone of their medication could have serious medical consequences,” said Glowiak Hilton. “These are unnecessary barriers that must be addressed in our pharmacies to prevent potential harm.”
House Bill 4874 was recently signed into law and takes effect immediately.
Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation opens Community Grant
Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation is now accepting applications for its annual Community Grants Program. Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation partners with a diverse range of organizations to provide essential dental services, education and preventive care for children in Illinois.
Grant recipients will receive a one-year grant of up to $20,000. To be considered, organizations must provide programs and services benefiting Illinois children, have a physical presence in Illinois and meet one of the following criteria:
Be a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Be a public or governmental entity such as a public school or health department.
Interested organizations can access the application form and detailed guidelines by visiting deltadentalil.com/community-grants. The deadline for submissions is Sept. 2. Recipients will be announced in November.
Last year, 18 local nonprofit and community organizations received grants totaling nearly $250,000. Since the grant program began in 2014, Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation has awarded 226 grants, totaling more than $2 million.
The Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation was formed in March 2008 by Delta Dental of Illinois, a not-for-profit dental service corporation with a mission to improve the oral health of the communities it serves. Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation is the 501(c)(3) charitable arm of Delta Dental of Illinois and works to support and improve the oral health of people in Illinois. In the past decade, combined efforts of Delta Dental of Illinois and Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation have provided more than $30 million to programs and organizations in Illinois that improve the oral health of the residents of Illinois. For additional information, visit deltadentalil.com/ddilfoundation.
Obituaries
CRAIG E. HENNING, 55
Craig E. Henning, age 55, of Lombard, passed away Aug. 10, 2024.
A Visitation will be held on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, from 10 a.m. until the time of the Funeral Service at noon at Brust Funeral Home, 135 S. Main St., Lombard.
Info: www.brustfuneralhome.com or 888-629-0094.
JOYCE KACZMAREK, 77
Joyce Kaczmarek, age 77, of Lombard, passed away on August 6th, 2024.
Joyce was together with her soulmate, the late Bill Lawrence; dear sister of Kathy (Ron) Pellegrino, Rose Cunneen and the late Ron Ciesielski; dear aunt of Gary Cunneen and Matthew Cunneen; and dear daughter of the late Anton and Irene Ciesielski.
Ave., Justice. In lieu of flowers, donations in Joyce’s memory may be made to the American Lung Association 55 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60601 or the American Heart Association Midwest Affiliate, Attn: Memorial/Tribute Processing Center, 3816 Paysphere Cir., Chicago, IL 60674. Arrangements by Brust Funeral Home. Visit www. brustfuneralhome.com or call 888629-0094 for more information.
MARGUERITE D. NELSON, 94
Marguerite D. “Dolly” Nelson, nee Dilloo, age 94, of Lombard, passed away August 7th, 2024.
Joyce and Bill were long time members of the Oldsmobile Club in Chicago. They loved traveling and showing many cars at regional and local Oldsmobile car shows where many lifelong friendships were made.
She also enjoyed going to Las Vegas with friends and family whenever she could.
Joyce retired from the Chicago Tribune after surviving Lung Cancer.
Funeral Services were held Wednesday, Aug. 14, at Brust Funeral Home, 135 S. Main Street, Lombard. Interment was at Resurrection Cemetery, 7201 Archer
Coming events
Dolly was the loving wife for 72 years of the late Jack Nelson; loving mother of Caryl (Richard) Hendron of Lombard, Karen Nelson of Lombard and John Nelson of Lombard; fond grandmother of Matthew (Amanda) Hendron of Arizona and Jonathan (Lisa) Hendron of Arizona; greatgrandmother of Hayley and Jakob Hendron and loving Aunt. She was preceded in death by her parents, Hans and Elizabeth, nee Trost, Dilloo and her brothers George Dilloo, Walter Dilloo, and William Dilloo.
Dolly grew up in Chicago and had been a Lombard resident for 52 years. She was a graduate of Kelvyn Park High School. Dolly worked at the Northern Trust Bank in Chicago for 34 years.
Following her retirement, Dolly was an active volunteer at the
Using genealogy newsletters for research
Aug. 26 at 7 p.m., join the Plum Library Genealogy Club for a roundtable discussion to share your research findings, hear success stories from other members and seek solutions to brick walls. This program will be in-person and held in the Conference Room (2nd floor). Registration required. Visit www.helenplum.org/event/using-genealogy-newsletters-research-56870 to register.
York Center church fun day Aug. 17
York Center Church of the Brethren, Luther Avenue, Lombard, has organized a neighborhood fun day to celebrate (or commiserate) the end of the summer. All the neighborhood is invited to Villa Roosevelt Park at 14th and Luther Avenue, Saturday, Aug. 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fire and police personnel will be there to talk to kids and show equipment. Food trucks will be available for neighbors to purchase lunch or ice cream. We will have games and fun for all ages. All are welcome.
Resource fair for veterans Aug. 21
Veterans and their families are invited to join the DuPage County Recorder and the Veterans Assistance Commission of DuPage County for the sixth annual Veterans Resource Fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 21 in the first floor Auditorium of the JTK Administration Building, 421. N County Farm Road, Wheaton. More than 80 service agencies and community organizations will be in attendance to offer information and assistance to veterans. Attendees are invited to enjoy refreshments and win door prizes as they receive information about programs designed to serve veterans and their families. For more information, please contact Steve Fixler of the Veterans Assistance Commission at 630-4075655 or steven.fixler@dupagecounty.gov or visit www. dupagecounty.gov/vac or www.dupagecounty.gov/recorder.
Pet adoption fundraiser Aug. 24
Come out and make a special connection with a fourlegged friend from Starfish Animal Rescue. Enjoy a hot
Brookfield Zoo for 25 years working in the Membership Department.
Dolly was a long-time member at St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church in Lombard. She was a former member of the Prairie Schooners Square Dancers of Lombard. In her free time, she enjoyed traveling on cruises with Jack and liked planning their trips. Dolly loved her family dearly.
Dolly will be Lying-in-State on Thursday, August 15th, from 10 AM until the time of the Funeral Service at 11 AM at St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church, 215 S. Lincoln St., Lombard. Interment to follow at Chapel Hill Gardens West Cemetery, Oakbrook Terrace.
In lieu of flowers, memorials to Brookfield Zoo Chicago Zoological Society, 3300 Golf Road, Brookfield, IL 60513, would be appreciated. Info: www. brustfuneralhome.com or 630-6290094.
KENT RADTKE, 73
Kent Radtke, age 73, of Lombard, passed away Aug. 11, 2024. Funeral arrangements are pending at Brust Funeral Home, 135 S. Main St., Lombard. Info: www.brustfuneralhome.com or 888-629-0094.
MARGARET M. WHITE, 85
Margaret M. White, age 85, of Lombard, passed away August 11, 2024.
Margaret was the beloved wife of the late Gerald White and the late William Shaw; dear mom of William Shaw, Michael (Joan) Shaw, Renee (Joe) Jakubik and Ron White; loving grandma of Justin (Natalie)
dog, chips and a drink, and take advantage of our specialized vendors for all your pet’s needs. All proceeds will be donated to Starfish Animal Rescue. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lexington Square of Lombard, 555 Foxworth Blvd., Lombard. Call 630-629-2900 for more information.
GPS program Aug. 22
The GPS Parent Series: Navigating Healthy Families will present “Start The Year Off Strong: 5 Essential Skills to Raise Students Who Can Weather Life’s Storms” with parenting expert Aliza Pressman at noon and 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, via Zoom. Pressman is a developmental psychologist with nearly two decades of experience working with families and health care providers. She is an assistant clinical professor in the Division of Behavioral Health Department of Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital where she is cofounding director of The Mount Sinai Parenting Center. Pressman is also the host of the hit podcast “Raising Good Humans.”Go to the GPS Parent Series website for information and the links to the webinars. To be placed on a reminder list for GPS events or submit a question in advance, contact Gilda Ross, Glenbard District 87 student and community projects coordinator, at gilda_ ross@glenbard.org or 630-942-7668. Visit glenbardgps. org to register.
Lombard Farmers Market Aug. 20
Visit the Lombard Farmers Market on Tuesday, Aug. 20, from 3-7 p.m. in downtown Lombard on the corner of S. Park Avenue and W. St. Charles Road. Enjoy music from singer/songwriter Jack the Acquaintance, sponsored by JL Vintage Odds and Ends. Shop seasonal fruits, vegetables, bread, treats for your pet and other handcrafted goods. The Lombard Farmers Market is brought to you by the Lombard Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry. For more information, including schedule changes, follow us on Facebook @LombardChamber.
Fudala, Amanda (Eric) Saunders, Felicia Shaw, Bill Shaw, Cheri (Joey) Melone, Christopher Shaw, Jonathan Jakubik and Joseph Jakubik; and adored great grandma of Maxwell, Mason, Magnolia, Montgomery and Wyatt. She was also preceded in death by her stepson, Ralph White.
Margaret was very involved in her community. She was a member of the Ocean Waves Square Dance Club, the Lombard VFW Women’s Auxiliary, and the Lombard Senior Center quilting group.
She was a Parishioner at Sacred Heart Church in Chicago.
Margaret was a kind and gentle woman, while also being tough and
strong. A Visitation will be held on Thursday, August 15, 2024, from 3:30 PM until 9:00 PM at Brust Funeral Home, 135 S. Main St., Lombard. Funeral Prayers Friday, August 16, at 9:30 AM to 10:00 AM Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 114 S. Elizabeth St., Lombard. Interment will follow at St. Mary Catholic Cemetery, Evergreen Park. In lieu of flowers, donations in Margaret’s memory may be made to the American Lung Association, 55 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60601, or the American Heart Association Midwest Affiliate, Attn: Memorial/Tribute Processing Center, 3816 Paysphere Cir., Chicago, IL 60674. Info: www. brustfuneralhome.com or 888-6290094.
Worship Services Directory
St. Timothy Evangelical Lutheran Church
547 N. Main St., Lombard, IL 60148 630-627-2435
Lent and Easter Services at 7 p.m.
“The Crucial Hours”
Second Lenten Service
Sunday Worship at 10:15 am Sunday School & Bible Study 9 am
March 9, 2022
Tips for getting landscape plants through summer
While much of the work done in the garden happens in the spring, that doesn’t mean growers can coast through summer. Supplemental watering, weeding, and managing pests will go a long way to keep landscapes growing through the summer.
Water
Weeds
Rev. David Ernest “Satan Has Asked to Sift All of You” Jerusalem Lutheran, Morton Grove Matthew 27:15-26
Saturday, August 24 Game Night at 4 pm
Everyone is Welcome!
Third Lenten Service
All services are live streamed. Watch on our website or on Facebook. sainttimothy.org
March 16, 2022
Rev. Paul Spaude “What to Remember When Your are St. Matthews, Niles Seized with Remorse” Matthew 27:3-4
Fourth Lenten Service March 23, 2022
Rev. Jonathan Bergemann “I Will Keep the Passover”
779 S. York Street Elmhurst, IL 630-834 -6700 www.visitationparish.org
As the temperatures heat up and the spigot in the sky turns off, providing supplemental water to plants is often necessary. Gardeners can water plants in various ways, from just the hose with a nozzle to overhead sprinklers or drip irrigation. Most plants will need 1 to 2 inches of water a week, either through rainfall or irrigation. Mulch will help retain soil moisture, meaning those beds may not have to be watered as often.
Keep a close eye on raised beds and container gardens. Raised beds and containers dry out much faster than plants in the ground. Therefore, these will likely need to be watered more frequently. It’s not uncommon to have to water potted plants daily during hot, dry stretches of weather.
Make sure to stay on top of weeds and don’t allow them to go to seed. Mechanical, hand pulling or hoeing is a good way to control small weeds or weeds in small areas. In larger areas, herbicides may be the best option for management. Mulching around plants can also help keep weeds down in flower beds, around trees, and in vegetable gardens. Try using organic mulches like wood chips, straw, or shredded leaves. Not only will it help keep weeds down, but as the mulches break down, they will also add organic matter to the soil.
Pests
Pest populations can also explode as the temperatures continue to heat up. It is important to go out and scout the landscape at least once a week. This will help to keep track of what’s going on in a garden space and help to stay on top of any pests that may be present. When managing pests in a landscape, try to use integrated pest management practices. Depending
Weekend Masses: Saturday: 4 PM (Vigil) Sunday: 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30 AM and 6 PM
Daily Masses:
Monday—Friday: 6:15 and 8:15 AM Saturday: 8:15 AM
Confessions: Saturday: 3-3:45PM
Adoration:
There’s no waiting for your home delivery.
Your link to the weekly newspaper will be emailed to you every Thursday. The digital version of the newspaper can be read on a computer, laptop or tablet.
For an eSubscription, visit rockvalleyenews.com or call 627-7010.
Proposed Aqua rate increase reignites tensions between the company and
its customers
Aqua Illinois proposal to increase rates under review by Illinois regulators
By Andrew Adams Capitol News illiNois
As state regulators consider whether to approve a proposed rate increase for the state’s second largest private water utility, its customers are criticizing it for poor service and high prices.
Aqua Illinois, which serves parts of 14 counties mostly in northern Illinois, requested an increase to its rates in January. Under the proposal, customers would see about a $30 increase in monthly bills, according to Citizens Utility Board, a consumer watchdog group involved in the case.
This comes at the same time as the state’s largest utility, Illinois American Water, is requesting a similar rate increase of its own—and facing its own criticisms.
The Illinois Commerce Commission is expected to rule on both cases by the end of the year. Regulators at the ICC can accept, reject or modify the proposals based on evidence presented to them from the companies, ICC staff, advocacy groups and municipalities.
Representatives of Aqua Illinois say the rate increase is necessary to maintain the infrastructure of its water systems, such as pump stations and water treatment plants, as well as to keep up with the cost of inflation. According to Aqua Illinois President David Carter, the cost of chemicals needed for making water safe to drink has more than doubled since the utility’s last rate case over six years ago.
But many Aqua Illinois customers say the company has already failed to adequately maintain its systems and shouldn’t be granted the increase. Last year, Aqua Illinois entered into a consent order meant to resolve years of legal battles with the state’s attorney general stemming from dangerously high levels of lead in the water system for University Park, a far south suburb of Chica-
go. The heavy metal can lead to brain and kidney damage and is particularly dangerous for young children.
University Park’s mayor, members of its board of trustees and residents registered their dissatisfaction with the utility at an ICC hearing Aug. 1 in Bourbonnais. Black residents make up the majority of the working-class village of about 7,200.
“This is environmental racism and injustice,” University Park Village Manager Elizabeth Scott said during a public comment. “And ICC, I want you to know we have to have you do something. These people are monsters.”
Others, like former village trustee Sonia Jenkins, criticized the rate increase request itself, particularly after many have spent several years buying bottled water to avoid relying on the tap.
“We have major concerns with Aqua water company,” Jenkins said. “There is no trust. Our seniors cannot afford an increase like this.”
In the five years since the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency found lead in University Park’s water, Aqua has spent about $18 million on remediation, according to Carter, none of which is being recovered from ratepayers. The lead contamination came from erosion of older pipes.
“We feel really confident that the erosion control treatment we have in place is working well,” he said in an interview last week, also noting that testing has found lead levels to be acceptable for three years.
Residents of the village can also request lead level testing from the company at no cost.
“We are committed to wanting to begin to build the trust,” Carter said Aug. 1.
But University Park residents are not alone in their discontent over Aqua’s water quality. At a separate hearing Monday in the far northwest
Suburban Chicago man guilty of illegally exporting firearm parts to Israel
A suburban Chicago man has pleaded guilty to federal export-control charges for illegally shipping firearm parts to Israel.
Amin Betuni admitted in a plea agreement that he shipped the firearm parts to individuals in Israel on at least three occasions in 2022. The parts included rifle barrels, gas blocks for rifles, and bolt carrier groups. Betuni put false information on the shipping labels and concealed the firearm parts in packages containing auto parts or George Foreman grills. The firearm parts were on the United States Commerce Control List and subject to federal export regulations.
As such, their export from the U.S. to Israel required a license or written approval from the Department of Commerce, neither of which was obtained by Betuni prior to his shipments.
During a court-authorized search of Betuni’s residence in Palos Hills in December 2022, law enforcement discovered more than 1,200 rounds of assorted ammunition, a shotgun, rifle, and handgun, additional bolt carrier groups, and three firearm conversion devices, also known as “Glock switches,” which equip firearms to fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger. Betuni, 37, pleaded guilty on Aug. 1 to a federal charge of knowingly and fraudulently exporting firearm parts in violation of U.S. laws and regulations. The conviction is punishable by a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
U.S. District Judge John F. Kness set sentencing for Nov. 6.
The guilty plea was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office
of Homeland Security Investigations, and Aaron Tambrini, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement.
Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Palos Hills Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn D. McCarthy.
“Export-control violations are critically important because they undermine federal laws and regulations that seek to protect international security,” said Pasqual. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to relentlessly pursue those who seek to exploit U.S. export-control laws for financial gain.”
“Those who illegally export firearm parts will face consequences,” said Fitzgerald. “Betuni’s actions not only violated international law but also undermined global security. HSI and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to uphold justice and prevent such dangerous activities. Let this guilty plea serve as a stern warning: anyone who jeopardizes peace and safety through illicit arms transfers will be held accountable.”
“The guilty plea is a testament to the excellent cooperation between our law enforcement partners effectively targeting the illegal export of firearm parts,” said Tambrini. “Whether the export involves firearm parts or other controlled items, the Office of Export Enforcement is committed to vigorously investigating illegal exports and holding violators accountable.”
Chicago suburb of Crystal Lake, attendees complained of service interruptions and of discolored water.
“It’s just unfair,” said Frank Pontrelli of Lakemoor. “We’re just getting browbeat here. Money’s getting taken and the water is still orange.”
Stephanie Tesmer, a customer and longtime critic of Aqua Illinois, said in an interview that she and others in her McHenry County community are “angry” and “frustrated” with the company.
“No one uses water from the tap,” she said. Water in Tesmer’s unincorporated neighborhood of Eastwood Manor is often discolored due to high levels of iron. In the company’s 2023 water quality report for that system, it found the iron concentration to be 2.3 parts per million. While it doesn’t apply to this specific water system, the general threshold for iron set by the Illinois EPA’s threshold of 1.0 parts per million for drinking water.
This leaves people like Tesmer relying on personally owned filtration systems to remove iron in their water, which can be costly.
Carter said despite the discoloration, the water meets state and federal safety regulations. Still, the company is expected to have a system-wide iron filtration system in place in Eastwood Manor by early next year. The company acquired Eastwood Manor’s water system, which had been plagued by water quality issues for decades, in 2016.
But Tesmer remains skeptical the utility will keep to its timeline.
“I won’t believe anything until I see a proposal
at the county level that they’re ready to do the work,” Tesmer said.
Service interruptions and high costs were also common concerns among residents of Lake County who registered public comment.
Last year, Hawthorn Woods and Kildeer experienced a multi-day service interruption, leaving hundreds of households without water. Parts of Lake County, including Hawthorn Woods, earlier this month were put under a boil advisory after a water main break.
“In 31 years of living in Buffalo Grove, I only had one boil order,” Susan Bauer, who moved to Hawthorn Woods four years ago, said during a public comment. “Furthermore, my bills were nothing compared to what I’m paying now. My friends who still live in Buffalo Grove, they pay half of what I pay.”
These situations have, according to Aqua, been resolved and all of its water systems are testing below regulatory limits for other hazardous materials.
But every water utility—public and private— is facing aging infrastructure that will need to be replaced or upgraded in the coming years. The federal EPA in a 2023 report found that Illinois needs more than $22 billion in infrastructure spending over the next two decades, an increase of about 6 percent since its last assessment of infrastructure needs that was released in 2018.
While some infrastructure improvements can be handled with government funding, for Aqua and other private companies, much of it will have to come from customers.
“We are on kind of a collision course, truly, with rates and infrastructure,” Carter said.
LEGAL NOTICE/PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Meeting of the Community Development Commission of the Village of Bensenville, DuPage and Cook Counties, will be held on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, at 6:30 P.M, at which a Public Hearing will be held to review case No. 2024 – 22 to consider a request for:
Special Use Permit, Motor Vehicle Repair and/or Service Municipal Code 10 – 7 – 2 – 1
At 1081 Entry Drive is an existing I-1 Light Industrial District. The Public Hearing will be held in the Village Board Room at Village Hall, 12. S. Center Street, Bensenville.
The Legal Description is as follows:
THE SOUTH 400 FEET (EXCEPT THE SOUTH 200 FEET THEREOF) OF LOT 2 IN WHITE PINES CENTER FOR BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY, BEING A SUBDIVISION OF PART OF THE NORTH ½ OF SECTION 26, TOWNSHIP 40 NORTH, RANGE 11 EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED NOVEMBER 7, 1977, AS DOCUMENT NO.
R77-102033 IN DUPAGE COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Commonly known as 1081 Entry Drive, Bensenville, IL 60106
Value Industrial Partners of 477 W. Wrightwood Avenue, Elmhurst, Illinois, 60126 is the owner of the subject property and Andy Samovsky of Toy Barn Inc, 1143 W. Garfield Avenue, Libertyville, Illinois, 60048 is the applicant for the subject property.
Any individual with a disability requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in any public meeting held under the authority of the Village of Bensenville should contact the Village Clerk, Village of Bensenville, 12 S. Center St., Bensenville, IL 60106, (630) 766-8200, at least three (3) days in advance of the meeting.
Applicant’s application and supporting documentation may be examined by any interested parties in the office of the Community and Economic Development Department,
Monday through Friday, in the Village Hall, 12 South Center Street, Bensenville, IL 60106. All interested parties may attend the Public Hearing and be heard. A link for electronic viewing will be posted on the Village website at least 48 hours prior to the meeting date. Written comments mailed to the Village Hall, and online comments submitted on the Village website, will be accepted by the Community and Economic Development Department through September 3, 2024 until 5:00 PM.
Office of the Village Clerk Village of Bensenville
(Published in the Addison Independent, Bensenville Independent & Villa Park Review Aug 15, 2024) 459879
LEGAL NOTICE/PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Meeting of the Community Development Commission of the Village of Bensenville, DuPage and Cook Counties, will be held on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, at 6:30 P.M, at which a Public Hearing will be held to review case No. 2024 – 21 to consider a request for:
Variation, Maximum Corner Side Setback
Municipal Code Section 10 – 6 – 18 – 1D
Variation, Off-Street Parking Requirements
Municipal Code Section 10 – 8 – 2 – 1
Variation, Compact Spaces
Municipal Code Section 10 – 8 – 6A – 2
Variation, Parking Design Standards; C-2 District Standards
Municipal Code Section 10 – 8 – 6L
Variation, Driveway Quantity
Municipal Code Section 10 – 8 – 8B
Variation, Minimum Parking Lot Perimeter Landscape
At 1347 Irving Park Road is an existing C-2 Commercial District. The Public Hearing will be held in the Village Board Room at Village Hall, 12. S. Center Street, Bensenville.
The Legal Description is as follows:
LOTS 1 AND 2 IN BEN DALE RESUBDIVISION OF LOTS 6, 7, 8, 9 AND 10 AND THE SOUTH ½ OF VACATED ALLEY NORTH OF AND ADJOINING SAID LOTS IN BLOCK 47 OF THE FIRST ADDITION TO PERCY WILSON’S IRVING PARK MANOR, BEING A SUBDIVISION IN SECTIONS 10, 11, 14 AND 15, TOWNSHIP 40 NORTH, RANGE 11, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT OF SAID SUBDICISION RECORDED MAY 24, 1988 AS DOCUMENT R88-53077, IN DUPAGE COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Commonly known as 1347 W. Irving Park Road, Bensenville, IL 60106
De Astis Partners Inc., LLC, 123 N Central Avenue, Wood Dale, Illinois, 60191 is the owner of the subject property and Rocio Olvera of Primavera School, 646 W Belden Avenue, Elmhurst, Illinois, 60126 is the applicant for the subject property.
Any individual with a disability requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in any public meeting held under the authority of the Village of Bensenville should contact the Village Clerk, Village of Bensenville, 12 S. Center St., Bensenville, IL 60106, (630) 766-8200, at least three (3) days in advance of the meeting.
Applicant’s application and supporting documentation may be examined by any interested parties in the office of the Community and Economic Development Department, Monday through Friday, in the Village Hall, 12 South Center Street, Bensenville, IL 60106. All interested parties may attend the Public Hearing and be heard. A link for electronic viewing will be posted on the Village website at least 48 hours prior to the meeting date. Written comments mailed to the Village Hall, and online comments submitted on the Village website, will be accepted by the Community and Economic Development Department through September 3, 2024 until 5:00 PM.
Office of the Village Clerk Village of Bensenville
(Published in the Addison Independent, Bensenville Independent & Villa Park Review Aug 15, 2024) 459878
LEGAL NOTICE/PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Meeting of the Community Development Commission of the Village of Bensenville, DuPage and Cook Counties, will be held on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, at 6:30 P.M, at which a Public Hearing will be held to review case No. 2024 – 24 to consider a request for:
Variance, Maximum Front Setback Municipal Code 10-6-17-1C
Variance, Maximum Corner Side Setback Municipal Code 10-6-17-1D
Variance, Parking Location Municipal Code 10-6-17-1H
Variance, Parking Facility Encroachment
Municipal Code 10-8-1C-4
Variance, Parking Design Standards Municipal Code 10-8-6C-1
Variance, Minimum Number of Long-Term Bicycle Parking Spaces Required Municipal Code 10-8-5-1
Variance, Street Tree Frequency Municipal Code 10-9-4B-1
Variance, Tree Canopy Coverage Municipal Code 10-9-5A
Variance, Minimum Parking Lot Perimeter Landscaping Municipal Code 10-9-5B
Variance, Parking Lot Interior Landscape Islands Municipal Code 10-9-5C
At 101 Main Street is an existing C-1 Downtown Mixed-Use District. The Public Hearing will be held in the Village Board Room at Village Hall, 12. S. Center Street, Bensenville.
The Legal Description is as follows:
Parcel 1: LOT 7 (EXCEPT THE WEST 40 FEET AND EXCEPT THE NORTH 0.5 FEET THEREOF) AND LOT 8 (EXCEPT THE WEST 40 FEET THEREOF) IN BLOCK 2 IN TIOGA, BEING A SUBDIVISION OF PART OF THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF THE NORTHEAST QUARTER AND PART OF THE NORTHEAST QUARTER OF THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF SECTION 14, TOWNSHIP 40 NORTH, RANGE 11, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEOREF OF THE RECORDED OCTOBER 24, 1873 AS DOCUMENT 17017, IN DUPAGE COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
COMMONLY KNOWN AS: 101-103 W. Main Street, Bensenville, Illinois
PARCEL 2: LOT 6 (EXCEPT THE WEST 59.60 FEET) AND THE NORTH 6 INCHES OF LOT 7 (EXCEPT THE WEST 40 FEET THEREOF) IN BLOCK 2 IN TIOGA, BEING A SUBDIVISION OF PART OF THE SOUTHEAST ¼ OF THE NORTHEAST ¼ OF PART OF THE NORTHEAST ¼ OF THE SOUTHEAST ¼ OF SECTION 14, TOWNSHIP 40 NORTHM RANGE 11, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED OCTOBER 24, 1873 AS DOCUMENT 17017 IN DUPAGE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
COMMONLY KNOWN AS: 6 N. Center Street, Bensenville, Illinois
PARCEL 3:
THE WEST 59.6 FEET OF LOT 6, THE WEST 40 FEET OF LOT 7, AND THE WEST 40 FEET OF LOT 8 IN BLOCK 2 IN TIOGA, BEING A SUBDIVISION OF PART OF THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF THE NORTHEAST QUARTER AND PART OF THE NORTHEAST QUARTER OF THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF SECTION 14, TOWNSHIP 40 NORTH, RANGE 11, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED OCTOBER 24, 1873 AS DOCUMENT 17017 IN DUPAGE COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
COMMONKY KNOWN AS: No address noted in deed.
PARCEL 4: LOT 5 IN BLOCK 2 IN TIOGA, A SUBDIVISION OF PART OF THE SOUTH-
EAST QUARTER OF THE NORTHEAST QUARTER AND PART OF THE NORTHEAST QUARTER OF THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF SECTION 14, TOWNSHIP 40 NORTH, RANGE 11, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN IN DUPAGE COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
COMMONLY KNOWN AS: 10 N. Center Street, Bensenville, Illinois
The Village of Bensenville, 12 N. Center Street, Bensenville, Illinois 60106 is the owner of the subject property and Antonio Fanizza of 2363 Lechner Lane, Des Plaines, Illinois 60016 is the applicant for the subject property.
Any individual with a disability requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in any public meeting held under the authority of the Village of Bensenville should contact the Village Clerk, Village of Bensenville, 12 S. Center St., Bensenville, IL 60106, (630) 766-8200, at least three (3) days in advance of the meeting.
Applicant’s application and supporting documentation may be examined by any interested parties in the office of the Community and Economic Development Department, Monday through Friday, in the Village Hall, 12 South Center Street, Bensenville, IL 60106. All interested parties may attend the Public Hearing and be heard. A link for electronic viewing will be posted on the Village website at least 48 hours prior to the meeting date. Written comments mailed to the Village Hall, and online comments submitted on the Village website, will be accepted by the Community and Economic Development Department through September 3, 2024 until 5:00 PM.
Office of the Village Clerk Village of Bensenville
(Published in the Addison Independent, Bensenville Independent & Villa Park Review Aug 15, 2024) 459880
LEGAL NOTICE/PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Meeting of the Community Development Commission of the Village of Bensenville, DuPage and Cook Counties, will be held on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, at 6:30 P.M, at which a Public Hearing will be held to review case No. 2024 – 25 to concerning the adoption of a Vision Zero Policy for the Village of Bensenville.
The Public Hearing will be held in the Village Board Room at Village Hall, 12. S. Center Street, Bensenville.
Any individual with a disability requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in any public meeting held under the authority of the Village of Bensenville should contact the Village Clerk, Village of Bensenville, 12 S. Center St., Bensenville, IL 60106, (630) 766-8200, at least three (3) days in advance of the meeting.
Applicant’s application and supporting documentation may be examined by any interested parties in the office of the Community and Economic Development Department, Monday through Friday, in the Village Hall, 12 South Center Street, Bensenville, IL 60106. All interested parties may attend the Public Hearing and be heard. A link for electronic viewing will be posted on the Village website at least 48 hours prior to the meeting date. Written comments mailed to the Village Hall, and online comments submitted on the Village website, will be accepted by the Community and Economic Development Department through, September 3, 2024 until 5:00 PM.
Office of the Village Clerk Village of Bensenville
(Published in the Addison Independent, Bensenville Independent & Villa Park Review Aug 15, 2024) 459881
PUZZLE Page
SUDOKU
Fun by the Numbers
Like puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku. This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test! Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!
CLUES ACROSS
1. Mongolian city __ Bator
5. Coconut palms
10. Rounded knob
14. Japanese city
15. Type of sandwiches
16. A type of shape
17. Son of Shem
18. French modernist painter
19. Grandmother
20. Mammary gland of female
cattle
22. Hill or rocky peak
23. Secret political clique
24. Songs to one’s beloved
27. “Boardwalk Empire” actress Gretchen
30. Father
31. Chinese philosophical principle
32. Restrict the number or amount of
35. Combined into a single entity
37. Brother or sister
38. Evil spirit
39. Materials in the earth’s crust
40. Partner to cheese
41. Of the sun
42. Baseball great Ty
43. After B
44. Place to relax on the beach
45. Folk singer DiFranco
46. Partly digested food
47. Small dog breed
48. Japanese honorific
49. Salts
52. Beard moss genus
55. Mountain pass
56. Type of sword
60. Albanian language
61. Metric weight unit
63. Italian Seaport
64. Longtime late night host
65. Extremely angry
66. Wading bird
67. Days in mid-month
68. Omitted from printed matter
69. Upper body part CLUES DOWN 1. Two-toed sloth
Cooking ingredient
Iranian city
Accuses
Corrie
Delivered a speech
Collection of sacred books 8. Theatrical
Very fast airplane
Arm bones
Ancient kingdom near Dead
__ fide: legit
Gemstone
Counsels
Corporate bigwig
Cool!
Touch lightly
Small Milky Way constellation
Satirical website
Border lines
Soft drinks
Capital of Guam
Six-membered ring (chemistry)
36. Bar bill
37. Car mechanics group
38. Notable Bill Murray character
40. Health care for the aged 41. Gurus
43. A passage with access only at one end
44. Reduce
46. Spy organization
47. The upper surface of the mouth
49. Plants of the lily family
50. Type of reef
51. Oral polio vaccine developer
52. Mottled citrus fruit
53. Lose
54. Former Brazilian NBAer
57. Baseball great Ruth
58. __ Clapton, musician
59. Chance
61. Spanish soldier
62. CNN’s founder
Sports
Mariners finish their season by winning Blue Division title
Villa Park will compete in the conference’s Red Division next year
The Villa Park Mariners concluded their 2024 DuPage Swim and Dive Conference season by winning the team title at the conference’s Blue Division ‘A’ Meet in Carol Stream.
The Mariners won the championship in the July 20 meet with their total score of 817. The Carol Stream Dolphins placed second with their score of 729. The Wood Dale/Addison Sharks landed in third place in the four-team meet with their total of 494. The Hanover Park Sailfish posted a fourth-place score of 406.
Winning this year’s Blue Division title propels the Mariners into the conference’s Red Division for the 2025 season.
Villa Park’s individual champions in the Blue Division ‘A’ Meet in Carol Stream included Elin Stempel, who won three races in the 11-12 girls level. She won the 50-yard freestyle, which she completed in 32.17 seconds. She added first-place finishes in the 50-yard butterfly (34.50) and the 50-yard backstroke (36.48).
Penelope Kuhl provided the Mariners with two individual wins in the July 20 meet in Carol Stream. Competing in the 8-and-under girls division, she posted victories in the 50-yard freestyle (40.47) and the 25yard butterfly (22.36).
Villa Park’s Ruth Aldana swam to a pair of wins in the Blue Division ‘A’ Meet. She delivered her victories in the 9-10 girls level, winning the 50-yard freestyle (37.93) and the 100-yard freestyle, which she finished in 1 minute, 25.84 seconds.
Ary Carrola of the Mariners raced to two wins in the season-ending July 20 meet. She earned her victories in the 100-yard individual medley (1:21.11) and the 100-yard freestyle
(1:07.04) in the 11-12 girls division.
Villa Park’s other individual champions in the Blue Division ‘A’ Meet included:
• 8-and-under boys: Ethan Aldana (50-yard freestyle; 52.14) and Henry Porebski (25-yard breaststroke; 28.33)
The Mariners won nine relay races at the season-ending meet. Villa Park’s 8-and-under boys foursome of Ethan Aldana, Henry Porebski, Ryan Lloyd and Tre Tarsitano earned two relay victories. The four boys won the 100-yard medley relay (2:13.06) and the 100-yard freestyle relay (1:48.66).
Villa Park’s 9-10 girls foursome of Leighton Stempel, Maddie Lynch, Ruth Aldana and Ariana Knudtson won two relay events during the July 20 meet. The four girls won the 200yard medley relay (3:00.45) and the 200-yard freestyle relay (2:42.68).
The Mariners’ 11-12 girls quartet of Colleen Pienkos, Lydia Aldana, Elin Stempel and Ary Carrola swam to two relay victories in the Blue Division ‘A’ Meet. The foursome won the 200-yard medley relay (2:28.61) and the 200-yard freestyle relay (2:17.08).
Villa Park’s foursome of Caleb Vaughan, Ryan Mueller, Cillian Con-
nolly and Chris Spears delivered two relay wins in the season-ending meet in Carol Stream. Competing in the 11-12 boys level, they won the 200-
yard medley relay (3:07.91) and the 200-yard freestyle relay (2:30.75).
Villa Park’s 13-14 girls foursome of Brooke Turner, Belle Knudtson,
Sophia Maffia and Phoebe Aldana raced to one relay victory in the July 20 meet. The four Mariners won the 200-yard freestyle relay (2:09.99).
The Villa Park Mariners wrapped up their 2024 season by winning the team title at the DuPage
and Dive Conference’s Blue Division ‘A’ Meet in Carol Stream. The Mariners compiled a first-place team score of 817 at the four-team meet on July 20. Winning this year’s Blue Division championship means that the Mariners will compete in the conference’s Red Division in 2025. Villa Park’s individual champions in the season-ending meet in Carol Stream included Elin Stempel, who won three individual events and swam on two winning relay teams in the 11-12 girls level. She is pictured (above) during her victory in the 50-yard backstroke. Villa Park’s Ary Carrola, who also competed in the 11-12 girls division, won two individual events and contributed to both of the Mariners’ relay victories in that level during the Blue Division ‘A’ Meet. She is pictured (below) while swimming the anchor leg on a winning performance in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Henry Porebski of Villa Park is pictured (bottom left) during his first-place effort in the 8-and-under boys level’s 25-yard breaststroke.
Chris Fox photos Rock Valley Publishing
Swim
Standout Mariners
Villa Park’s Levi Little is shown (above) during his win in the 50-yard breaststroke in the 9-10 boys division of last month’s DuPage Swim and Dive Conference Blue Division ‘A’ Meet. Another photo (below) shows Penelope Kuhl, who won two individual events for the Mariners in the 8-and-under girls level. One more photo (bottom) from the season-ending meet shows Villa Park’s Lydia Aldana during her victory in the 11-12 girls division’s 50-yard breaststroke.
Pritzker signs measures reining in biometric data privacy law, eliminating grocery tax
Measures are among more than 50 bills signed since Aug. 2
By Hannah Meisel and Jerry Nowicki CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
Illinois’ first-in-the-nation law that allows residents to sue companies over the improper collection of their biometric information will be slightly less punitive after Gov. JB Pritzker signed a new law.
Lawmakers this spring amended the Biometric Information Privacy Act in response to an Illinois Supreme Court ruling last year that suggested lawmakers clarify the law. That ruling found fast food chain White Castle violated BIPA each time employees scanned their fingerprints in the course of performing their jobs, as the company never obtained employees’ permission to collect their fingerprints. But under Senate Bill 2979, employees or customers whose fingerprints, retinal scans, voice samples or other unique biometric information were collected by businesses without their permission can only claim one violation of BIPA instead of hundreds. In jobs with fingerprint-enabled time clocks and cash registers or other secure areas that require biometric data scans to access, employees might end up scanning their thumbs or eyes dozens of times per day.
Using the old method of accrual, White Castle’s attorneys estimated the company would be on the hook for up to $17 billion in penalties, as the law provides for $1,000 in damages for each “negligent” violation or $5,000 for each “reckless” or “intentional” violation.
Though the eye-popping number made headlines, White Castle earlier this year settled the case for $9.4 million.
Business groups, however, argue that settlement and others like it represent the obvious outcome of the law unique to Illinois, which they argue has incentivized the creation of a cottage industry for ambitious attorneys.
Though technology took years to catch up with the law’s aims, thousands of lawsuits have been filed— especially since they began to take off around 2018—including a few that have resulted in high-profile settlements, such as a $650 million class-action payout from Facebook in 2020.
While some business groups were supportive of the reforms, others claimed they did not go far enough.
Chicago-based attorney Danielle Kays of Fisher & Phillips LLP, who represents companies facing BIPA challenges, told Capitol News Illinois that the amendment “can be seen as a step in the right direction” but said it’s up to the courts to in -
terpret the update to the law.
“This isn’t the full reform that most businesses probably want—or that is warranted, given that still no plaintiff has actually been harmed by BIPA violations,” she said.
Because there have been no data breaches that have led to anyone’s fingerprints or other biometric information being stolen, Kays and others say lawmakers should further amend BIPA to allow businesses to cure violations before facing a lawsuit. A business is in violation of BIPA if it doesn’t have a storage policy in place, doesn’t properly protect the data, or if it does not get consent from customers or employees for the data being collected.
The amendment also made it easier for companies to get consent from customers or employees.
While the old law required “informed written consent” for the collection of fingerprints and other biometric data, businesses can now obtain that consent via an electronic signature, which the bill defines as an “electronic sound, symbol, or process.”
Kays also noted that there was an uptick in BIPA cases filed between May, when lawmakers passed the amendment, and the end of July.
“We track the cases on a daily basis and BIPA filings have been fairly consistent but there, of course, have been ebbs and flows,” she said. “One could conclude that the plaintiffs were trying to file the lawsuits before the BIPA amendment went into effect.
Grocery tax to be eliminated
As part of state budget negotiations this year, lawmakers approved Pritzker’s plan to eliminate the statewide 1 percent grocery tax beginning in 2026. He signed that provision into law on Aug. 5.
The revenue from the state grocery tax goes to municipal governments, rather than state coffers. To make up for those lost revenues, the law allows counties and municipalities to levy their own 1 percent grocery taxes by passing an ordinance, rather than needing a referendum.
It also gives non-home rule municipalities the authority to impose sales taxes by up to 1 percent without a referendum.
Inspecting state developmental facilities
The Illinois Department of Human Services Office of the Inspector General will be allowed to conduct unannounced site visits at state-run facilities serving individuals with developmental or mental disabilities.
Senate Bill 857, signed Aug. 2, gives the OIG authority to conduct site visits to all community agencies
in the state, including Community Integrated Living Arrangements and Community Mental Health Centers. The OIG is also required to issue written reports and recommendations after reviewing a facility.
The OIG will also have more authority to investigate allegations of material obstruction of an investigation under the law that took effect upon its signature on Aug. 2.
Coverage
of
infertility, wigs
Senate Bill 773 requires state-regulated group health insurance policies that cover pregnancy to group health insurance to cover the diagnosis and treatment of infertility starting in 2026, including such options as in vitro fertilization. The measure also requires those plans to cover annual menopause health visits for those age 45 and older.
Senate Bill 2573 requires insurance plans to cover wigs for individuals who are losing their hair for medical reasons, such as alopecia or from undergoing chemotherapy.
Mindful classrooms
Senate Bill 2872 allows educators to provide students with at least 20 minutes of relaxation activities, like yoga and meditation, each week. It would also allow them to partner with an outside institution to provide the activities.
During House debate this spring, supporters of the bill said practicing soothing techniques, like breathing exercises and stretching, helps students manage their mental health. But those opposed expressed concern with potential programming interfering with classroom learning time and religious freedoms.
Food grants
A pilot program that has given nearly $2 million to local farms will become permanent after Pritzker’s signature Aug. 2 on Senate Bill 3077 It creates a special fund for the Department of Agriculture to administer the Local Food Infrastructure Grant Program.
Grants would go to select small farms for things like food processing and cold storage. Grant amounts could range from $1,000 to $75,000 for individual projects and up to $250,000 for a collaborative project.
Garbage truck coverings
Garbage trucks that lose trash because they are not properly covered will be subject to fines starting next year. House Bill 4848 creates a specific violation for law enforcement to cite when garbage or other debris falls from a truck and litters highways. Each infraction will result in a $150 ticket.
CHRIS FOX PHOTOS Rock Valley Publishing
LEGAL NOTICES
NOTICE
CERTIFICATE NO. 79488 was filed in the office of the County Clerk of DuPage County on JULY 30, 2024 wherein the business firm of PATT’S CREATION’S 4 YOU, 2822 EASTON STREET, DOWNERS GROVE, IL 60515 was registered; that the true or real name or names of the person or persons owning the business, with their respective post office address(es), is/are as follows: Patricia Bass, 2822 Easton Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and Official Seal at my office in Wheaton, Illinois, this 30TH day of JULY, A.D. 2024. Jean Kaczmarek DuPage County Clerk (Published in The Lombardian Aug. 8, 15 & 22, 2024) 459436
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE EIGHTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT DU PAGE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
PUBLICATION NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE
Request of: Kalyn Terese Konrath Case Number 2024MR000485
There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from Kalyn Terese Konrath to the new name of Kalyn Terese Rattin. The court date will be held: SEPTEMBER 27, 2024 at 9:00 a.m at 505 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL in Courtroom 2005.
/s/ Kalyn Terese Konrath
Dated August 5, 2024
Candice Adams Clerk of the Circuit Court 8085-945387
(Published in The Lombardian Aug. 15, 22 & 29, 2024) 459693
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE IS GIVEN by the Board of Education of Bensenville Elementary School District 2 that a tentative budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, will be available for public inspection in this school district at the Educational Administration Center, 210 S. Church Road, Bensenville, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. from August 19, 2024 until September 18, 2024.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that a public hearing on the District’s 2024-2025 budget will be held at 6:30 p.m. local time on September 18, 2024 in this school district at the Lifelong Learning Center of the Educational Administration Center, 210 S. Church Road, Bensenville.
Dated this 14th day of August 2024.
Jacqueline Dye, Secretary BOARD OF EDUCATION SCHOOL DISTRICT 2 COUNTY OF DUPAGE, STATE OF ILLINOIS
(Published in the Addison Independent, Bensenville Independent & Villa Park Review Aug. 15, 2024) 459690
• Plants
on the pest, there may be management options other than spraying pesticides. Using cultural, physical, and biological management techniques can often provide adequate control of pests.
Flowers
Many annual flowers don’t require much care other than the occasional watering. However, some will benefit from deadheading or removing the flowers after they bloom. Doing this encourages the plants to produce more flowers and helps keep them from looking ragged. Some annuals that may benefit from deadheading are geraniums, marigolds, salvia, and snapdragons.
Vegetables
Make sure to harvest vegetables like cucumbers, sweet corn, and green beans at the proper time. Also, keep up with harvesting other vegetables, such as tomatoes and peppers.
Come July and August, gardeners can begin planting a fall garden. Many cool-season vegetables grown in the spring, like broccoli, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, and spinach, can be planted again in mid-to-late summer to extend the growing season.
For more summer gardening tips, check out the Good Growing blog at go.illinois.edu/GoodGrowing. For questions, contact a local University of Illinois Extension office at go.illinois.edu/ExtensionOffice.
Also, check out Gardeners Corner, a quarterly newsletter from gardening experts around the state. Each issue high-
lights best practices that will make your houseplants, landscape, or garden shine in any season. Join the Gardeners Corner email list at go.illinois.edu/GCsubscribe for direct access to timely tips.
About Illinois Extension
Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities. Illinois Extension is part of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.
Source/writer: Ken Johnson, horticulture educator, Illinois Extension. He is an Illinois Extension horticulture educator for Calhoun, Cass, Greene, Morgan and Scott counties.
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Business & Service
Residential driveways, patios, walkways. Stamped and colored concrete.
Specializing in general maintenance and repair both inside and out.
Classifieds
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DISCLAIMER NOTICE This publication does not knowingly accept fraudulent or deceptive advertising. Readers are cautioned to thoroughly investigate all ads, especially those asking for money in advance.
7 CEMETERY PLOTS Willing to sell as a group or individually. Located at Roselawn Memory Gardens 3045 WI-67, Lake Geneva, WI 53147. This is a private sale. Contact Randy, the seller at randy@slpublishers.com.
Automobiles
IBLE with white top, black interior, 4 speed, garage kept. $40,000 OBO. 708-533-7035
Campers and RVs
PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familiar/ status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD toll-free at 1-900-669-9777. The toll-free tele phone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
1994 WINNEBAGO WARRIOR 22’ V8 454 engine, 97,200 miles. Newer tires, new battery, new sub floor and flooring. Rooftop A/C works great. Rust free, runs good and ready for travel! Asking $10,500. Located near Rockford. Call 815-520-0997.
Motorcycles
FOR SALE: 2007 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCU, full dress bagger, 96 cu.in., 6 speed, excellent condition, 13,000 miles on the clock. All stock with bag liners, tour pack rack & Garmin GPS. Includes motorcycle lift for winter storage. Buy it now in time for Sturgis. $8,500 OBO. 630-6241323; leave a voicemail.
Never Known to Fail
Oh, most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of heaven, blessed mother of the Son of God.
Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh Star of the Sea, help me and show me, herein you are my mother.
Help Wanted
Oh, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth! I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to answer me in this necessity. There are none that can withstand your power. Oh, show me herein you are my mother. Oh, Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (3x). Holy Mother, I place this cause in your hands (3xs). Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands (3x). Holy Spirit, you who solve all problems, light all roads so that I can attain my goal, you who gave me divine gift to forgive and forget all evil against me, and that in all instances in my life you are with me. I want in this short prayer to thank you for all things as you confirm once again that I never want to be separated from you in eternal glory.
Thank you for your mercy towards me and mine.
The person must say this prayer 3 consecutive days, after 3 days the request will be granted.
This prayer must be published after the favor is granted. A.S.
AgeGuide to host third annual Aging Summit Aug. 21
AgeGuide Northeastern Illinois has announced the third annual Aging Summit, set for Wednesday, Aug. 21, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the NIU Outreach Campus in Naperville.
Join AgeGuide for an engaging day of discussions focused on supporting economic resilience across the lifespan.
This event will highlight critical conversations on longevity, financial challenges, obligations, and opportunities for the older adult demographic.
Nationally recognized advocate Bob Blancato of the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs will deliver a keynote speech on federal strategies to enhance economic stability, covering essential programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and the Older Americans Act.
Blancato will delve into the intersection of advocacy and policy, offering valuable insights into influencing policy to foster economic resilience.
Dr. Cheryl Woodson, an author, caregiver and advocate, will address the financial and emotional costs of caregiving. She will provide attendees with practical insights and strategies to manage these significant challenges.
Throughout the day, various sessions will cover essential economic topics, including retirement plan -
ning, scams, medical debt and financial security for women.
“We invite you to join us as we create space for meaningful conversations around financial security and economic resilience,” said Marla Fronczak, chief executive officer at AgeGuide. “We aim to inspire attendees with actionable strategies for securing their own financial resilience, along with tools to support others in doing the same.”
The event is sponsored by AARP, Aetna, Mom’s Meals, T-Care, and Molina Healthcare. For more information or to register for the Aging Summit, visit https://www.ageguide.org/agingsummit.
AgeGuide Northeastern Illinois, an Area Agency on Aging, is a nonprofit organization responsible for developing and coordinating a network of services for older persons throughout an eight-county area in northeastern Illinois. AgeGuide informs and advises public and private agencies and the general public of the needs of older persons living in its region, and acts as an advocate on their behalf. The Agency serves DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will Counties.
Other information about AgeGuide, other topics of interest to older adults, and links to additional resources are available at the agency’s web site: www.ageguide.org.
Lombard Historical Society to host Victorian Garden Tea Party on Saturday
The Lombard Historical Society (LHS) invites you to a Victorian Garden Tea Party from 2:30 to 4 p.m. this Saturday, Aug. 17, at the William J. Mueller Gazebo at 23 W. Maple St. in Lombard. Enjoy summery refreshments, Victorian inspired games and crafts and live cello music at this traditional Victorian occasion. This event is best suited for ages 12 and up. Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Tickets are required and available on the website—lombardhistory.org. For more information about this event, or the Lombard Historical Society, visit lombardhistory.org, email info@lombardhistory.org, or phone 630-629-1885. Experience the lovely garden, enjoy traditional tea party refreshments and bask in the atmosphere with beautiful live classical cello music by Ryan Carney. Sample Victorian-inspired finger-food and traditional tea party delicacies. Beverages include iced tea, lemonade and wine. Try your hand at floral arranging, painting a wooden tea pot or cup, or take a swing at the Victorian sport of croquet. The Victorian Cottage will be open for self-guided tours, and Carney will entertain everyone with his sublime cello performance. Come dressed in your garden party best. Don’t forget your sun hat. There will also be a raffle for a gift basket with items from the Lilac Emporium Gift Shop.
