A P R I L 18 , 2 0 1 8 v o l . 1 0 i s s u e 19
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Opioid Crisis County expands response to opioid crisis See Page 3
SPORTS
Pushing fourth Trojans look to better last year See Page 7
business Dave Says Don’t give debt collectors account access
See Page 10
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Whisky alone’ thwarted plan to steal Lincoln’s body
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forum spotlight
lincoln’s legacy
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2018 | buglenewspapers.com
village news >> downers grove
Society presents Founders Day celebration Expanded schedule includes many aspects of village’s long history By Grace Tucker Bugle Staff @BugleNewspapers sweditor@buglenewspapers.com
The Downers Grove Historical Society seeks to increase awareness and appreciation of the village’s rich history during Founders Day 2018. With this year’s expanded lineup the event now encompasses more than a weekend. New to the lineup is the April 24 “American Home Garden Design: 1830 to the Present,” at 7 p.m. at the historic Avery Coonley School (on the National Register of Historic Places) and the 1 p.m. Wildflower Walk at Lyman’s Woods on April 28. “We wanted to come up with programing to increase the appreciation of our historic homes,” said Downers Grove Historical Society Elizabeth President Chalberg of the April 24 presentation. “[Meanwhile] the Wildflower Walk advocates for our town’s natural history. . . the prairie plants that were here when the pioneers got here.” The Historical Society with the Downers Grove Museum presents Founders Day. The Society does basic coordinating of the event, said Chalberg, while the Museum sponsors and presents the May 5 Country in the Park at the Museum campus as well as the graveside dedication for Civil War Captain Walter Blanchard, Founder of the Year, in the historic Downers
Grove cemetery on Main Street. Blanchard was one of Downers Grove’s earliest settlers; arrving with his family in 1836 after buying 103 acres of farmland. Blanchard was a probate judge in DuPage County for seven years when, at the age of 54, he joined the Union Army after hearing about the fir-
ing on Fort Sumter. He raised one of the State’s first regiments, the 13th Illinois Volunteer Infantry and was wounded and later died from his battle injuries. According the Chalberg, Founders Day is “a consortium of volunteer organizations that seems to be growing; and we will add more
events next year.” “We want to expose our residents to the various pieces of Downers Grove history and provide appreciation of what it took to carve this community out of the prairie,” she said. From gardening to golf, there’s something for everyone from
April 24-May 6. Many events are free and all are family-friendly. “All of these are family oriented . . . there’s many things to do. Country in the Park is a blast and this year there’s an expanded petting zoo,” said Chalberg. Other April 28 events include Downers Grove Handmade Market from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at O’Neill Middle School sponsored by the Junior Woman’s Club; and the 42nd Annual Pine Hollow Open at the historic Downers Grove Golf Club. On Saturday, May 5 the Downers Grove Bicycle Club is sponsoring the Annual Family Bike Ride in Fishel Park, where riders will pass many historic sites with a chance to stop and learn more about Downers Grove. Windy City Walkers are sponsoring selfguided 10k and 5k walks past historic sites, including Oak Hill/Oak Crest cemeteries. In the afternoon from noon-3 p.m. Country in the Park at the Museum returns with the new and expanded farm animal petting zoo, old-time games, and pioneer trade displays. On Sunday, May 6, the Downers Grove Public Library presents Music of the Civil War performed by the Battlefield Balladeers at 2 p.m. at the Downers Grove Public Library, 1050 Curtiss St. Followed by a 3:30 p.m. presentation sponsored by the Friends of the Edwards House, “Landmarking Your Historic Property and the Historic Home Program” also at the library. For more information about Founders Day visit downersgrovehistory.org
DuPage County
Campground opens for season May 4 64 Beautiful Campsites Available to Reserve Take a minivacation in DuPage County by spending a night under the stars at the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County’s family campground at Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville. The campground opens Friday,
May 4 and is open Friday and Saturday nights through Sept. 30 as well as Thursday nights May 24 – Aug. 30. To accommodate holiday campers, sites are also available the nights of Sunday, May 27; Sunday, July 1 through Saturday, July 7; and Sunday, Sept. 2. Campground sites have electricity and can accommodate visitors with tents, trailers and motor homes. Each has a gravel parking pad, fire ring and picnic table and can hold up to eight people, two tents and
one vehicle. The campground has restrooms, showers, hand water pumps and a dump station. Firewood is $5 per bundle; outside firewood is not allowed. Family campground permits for Thursday – Saturday nights can be purchased online 24/7 up to four calendar days in advance. To reserve extended holiday dates that include Sunday – Wednesday, contact Visitor Services at 630-9337248 Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at least three business days in
advance. “Treat your family to a fun camping adventure, connect to nature and enjoy a getaway weekend without leaving DuPage County,” said Forest Preserve District of DuPage County President Joe Cantore. “Blackwell is one of our most popular and beautiful forest preserves,” said Forest Preserve District Commissioner Al Murphy, District 6. “There are plenty of fun things to do there, including fish-
ing, archery, hiking, biking and boating.” The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has been connecting people to nature for more than 100 years. More than 4 million people visit its 60 forest preserves, 145 miles of trails, five education centers and scores of programs each year. For information, call 630-933-7200 or visit dupageforest. org, where you can also link to the District’s e-newsletter, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
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DuPage County Board
County expands response to opioid crisis Heroin/Opioid Prevention and Education: ‘HOPE’ Taskforce formed In an ongoing effort to combat what has become the deadliest drug crisis in U.S. history, DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin has created the Heroin/ Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Taskforce. A joint operation of the DuPage County Board and the DuPage County Health Department, the Taskforce includes representatives from several agencies across the County. The HOPE Taskforce is co-led by Board of Health Vice President Dr. Lanny Wilson and County Board member Grant Eckhoff, and includes 17 community specialists in mental health, law enforcement, the court system, substance abuse treatment and prevention, and education. “This is a challenging epidemic that requires a wide-ranging re-
sponse, and the HOPE Taskforce is the next logical step,” Mr. Eckhoff said. The HOPE Taskforce has developed a framework to: • Reduce access to drugs • Reduce opioid use and misuse • Increase overdose response • Integrate mental health and substance use disorder treatment and recovery • Provide education and prevention, and reduce stigma “Our intent is to bring together the collective wisdom and resources in DuPage County to attack this epidemic from every possible angle,” Dr. Wilson said. Members of the HOPE Taskforce are meeting monthly to professionally and comprehen-
sively assess opioid use in DuPage County, and recommend effective and actionable policies, initiatives and programs. The Taskforce will issue formal recommendations later this spring. The HOPE Taskforce has met with congressional leaders to discuss the framework and share the Taskforce’s recommendations to address the crisis, most recently meeting with U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Schaumburg) and Peter Roskam (R-Whea-
ton), to discuss the local response to this epidemic. Additionally, DuPage County officials have taken steps to fight heroin and opioid overdoses since introducing the DuPage Narcan Program (DNP) in 2014, including: Saving more than 460 lives using the antidote Naloxone (also known as Narcan) to reverse the effects of heroin and opioids Training more than 4,000 first responders and citizens in the use
of naloxone; Decreasing access to prescription drugs by increasing access to safe drug disposal through the Rx Box, the county-wide drug disposal program, which has collecting over 46 tons of unused medication; Leading community and school discussions and education efforts to create awareness among community leaders, students and parents; Promoting opioid overdose prevention resources, including the Illinois Helpline for Opioid and Other Substances (1-833-2FIND HELP), and; Providing safe-prescribing education to healthcare professionals. HOPE Taskforce meetings are open to the public and interested members of the community are invited to attend. All HOPE Taskforce meetings will be announced on the DuPage County Board and DuPage County Health Department websites.
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forum
We want to hear from you! Send us your feedback at sweditor@buglenewspapers.com WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2018 | buglenewspapers.com
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Whisky alone’ thwarted plan to steal Lincoln’s body Lincoln’s Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery is the nation’s 2nd-mostvisited cemetery By Tara McClellan McAndrew for The State JournalRegister It was July 3, 1876 — the eve of our country’s first centennial. Everyone in Springfield would be celebrating downtown. No one would be near Oak Ridge Cemetery. It was the perfect time to steal Abraham Lincoln’s body. The incredulous plot was hatched by Midwestern counterfeiters who had been shut down when their expert bill engraver was jailed. Benjamin Boyd’s bills were the best in the Midwest, possibly the country. In 1875, he was captured in Fulton, found guilty, and sent to the Joliet penitentiary for 10 years. Without his plates, the criminals who made and passed the counterfeit bills were out of business. They had to spring their money man. “Big Jim” Kennally, a St. Louis Irishman who led Midwestern counterfeiters, according to Thomas J. Craughwell’s book, “Stealing Lincoln’s Body,” brainstormed a solution. They would snatch Lincoln’s body, bury it in the Indiana Dunes, then ransom it for $200,000 and Boyd’s pardon and freedom. His minions in Lincoln moved to Springfield to implement the plan. As a front, they opened a saloon and dance hall — just a block west of the current Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. When the criminals weren’t running the saloon, they posed as tourists to case Lincoln’s tomb. With their preparations finished around the middle of June, the Logan County boys relaxed. They spent the night at a Springfield brothel and toasted their upcoming riches. In his welloiled state, the gang’s leader boasted to one of the ladies that they were going to steal “old Lincoln’s bones” and ransom them. He even told her when. She told the chief of police, who warned John Carroll Power, the tomb’s custodian. He told the Lincoln Monument Association, local friends and peers of Lincoln’s who were in charge of the tomb. They did nothing. In a book he wrote about the crime (“History of
an Attempt … ”), Power explains: “It seemed to them so incredible that no attention was given to it.” When the Logan County leader sobered and realized what he’d done, he and his gang fled. “Whisky alone is entitled to the credit of having thwarted this well laid scheme,” wrote Power. A few months later, Kennally headed for Chicago to find new partners for his plot. He was part-owner of a bar there called “The Hub,” which had little to offer except booze and boodle (counterfeit) carriers. Here, Kennally proposed his idea to co-proprietor, Terrence Mullen and Jack Hughes. They liked what they heard. The duo needed more men for the job, so they approached Lewis Swegles, a horse thief who had become a frequent customer. Unbeknownst to them, he also was a spy. The assistant chief of the Secret Service in Chicago, Patrick Tyrrell, hired Swegles to hang around The Hub and inform him of the habitue’s criminal activities. As the would-be kidnappers honed their plan, Swegles told Tyrrell every detail. Tyrrell then told Lincoln’s oldest and only surviving son, Robert, a Chicago attorney. The detective asked Robert to let the plot proceed so he could catch the kidnappers in the act and increase their chance of conviction. Robert agreed. Mullen and his boys selected Nov. 7, election night, as the date. The presidential contest between Democrat Samuel Tilden and Republican Rutherford B. Hayes was heated, and once again, Springfield residents would be downtown celebrating and waiting for the results. No one would be near Oak Ridge Cemetery. On Nov. 6, the counterfeiters caught a train to Springfield. In the back car, Tyrrell, other detectives and a Chicago Daily Tribune reporter were tailing them. Once in Springfield, some of the gang procured tools, while the others visited the tomb, acting as tourists, to determine how to break in. They only had to break a door’s padlock to reach Lincoln’s white marble sarcophagus. Swegles later said, as reported in the Nov. 20, 1876, Illinois State Journal, that while his cohorts were able counterfeiters, they had few skills for burglary, especially when it came to picking the right tools. That night, Tyrrell and his detectives got to the tomb first. They hid inside and waited. Mullen and his gang snuck up to the monument and began sawing the metal padlock on the door to the cata-
comb. They’d brought a flimsy metal saw for the job, and it broke. So they used a three-sided metal file, which took half an hour, according to Craughwell. Once inside, the kidnappers opened the sarcophagus lid with a crowbar and sawed through the container’s front to reach Lincoln’s coffin. They pulled it out about a foot, but it was too heavy. Mullen told Swegles to get help. Instead, the informant signaled the detectives that it was time to raid the operation. The agents dashed from their hideout toward the catacomb at the other end of the tomb. In the excitement, one accidentally shot his gun. Frightened, the kidnappers fled. When the agents got to the sarcophagus, all that was left were the criminals’ misfit tools. The agents spread out to catch the would-be thieves. Tyrrell ran to the tomb’s roof where he spied a couple of men and shot at them. They returned fire. When Tyrell called for backup, one figure called out: “Tyrrell, is that you?!” One of the Secret Service’s best detectives had been shooting at his own men. Stupidly, the kidnappers ran right back to The Hub. Tyrrell arrested Mullen and Hughes there on Nov. 17. They were tried the following May. Since grave robbing wasn’t a crime, the worst the two could be charged with was petty theft, for trying to steal Lincoln’s $75 coffin. They were convicted and sent to Joliet, the same penitentiary from which they had tried to spring their engraver, Benjamin Boyd. When initial reports of the attempted kidnapping were printed, many people, even detectives and other newspaper editors, thought it was a hoax. The crime was too sacrilegious to be believed. Once verified, it was blamed on lots of people other than the real culprits. Some thought Democrats did it, others blamed it on vengeful former Confederates. In Illinois, Chicagoans thought it was a ruse planned by one of the detectives to help him win election for chief of police. A few days after the attempted theft, Power and some of Lincoln’s friends moved the president’s coffin to the tomb’s earthen floored basement, for its safety. It was moved several more times until 1901. Then, per Robert’s request, it was buried 10 feet beneath the catacomb in an enclosure of concrete and steel. Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the July 3, 2016, edition of The (Springfield) State Journal-Register.
TAKE 5
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SOCCER
Pushing
Fourth After 4th place last year, North soccer has tougher schedule in preparation for playoffs
By mark gregory Sports Editor @Hear_The_Beard mark@buglenewspapers.com
A season ago, IHSSCA Hall of Fame coach Brian Papa took over the Downers Grove North soccer program and the Trojans went on to claim fourth place in the state. This year, Papa has increased the strength of schedule for North in hopes to get back in the state finals. “I purposely made the schedule harder than last year,” Papa said. “Last year, I just inherited the team and the schedule was pretty weak and we got some good teams, but it was nowhere near what we have this year. The girls have to understand that these are the games that they have to learn how to win and this is a learning process. “Every coach is in the same boat – no one is practicing. You play for two days and then you sit because the Lord says its 30 degrees outside. If we practice, we are out in the cold.” The biggest issue so far, Papa said, is scoring goals – or even more so taking the shots that lead to the goals. “We are taking shots from outside the 18 and those are good shots, but they are not bombs and you need a bomb from outside the 18,” Papa said.
“What we are trying to do is get the girls to cross the ball and not to the goal keeper. We have to score goals. Having opportunities that we have had and being in a 0-0 tie is frustrating. “When we are playing really good teams, we have to take what they give us. Crossing the ball is a big thing. This has been the story of the season. There are girls that are learning and they are filling in spots from last year and they have to be the forward line.” What Papa is not concerned about are the goals he expects the opponents to score – or not score. “Our defense is as good as it gets. Those two center backs I have with (Mia) Marconi in the back and Bella (Scarlati) they are god and my goalkeeper is good,” he said. All in all, Papa says he is happy with the makeup of the Trojans’ roster and believes by the time the playoffs come around in the middle of May, the team will be ready to compete in the playoffs. “I love this team. The team has good chemistry. We have a good balance and we are a tough team to score on,” Papa said. “You can’t see the goals go in if you don’t shoot. We have girls that are being selfish in the wrong places and that is teachable.”
photo by MaRK GREGORY
Olivia Bull and the Trojans have increased the difficulty of schedule this seaosn.
TWITTER: For up -to-the-minute coverage of upcoming local sport events going on in your area, follow @VoyagerSport
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North central
Volleyball season ends in thriller With nearly every seat inside Gregory Arena occupied by cheering fans, the North Central College men’s volleyball team endured a trying five-set battle against the Loras College Duhawks (14-10, 5-4 MCVL) in the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (MCVL) Tournament Semifinal match on Friday, but the Cardinals (17-8, 9-0 MCVL) found themselves on the wrong side of the 3-2 outcome and saw a historic and incredible season come to an end. Loras got on the board first with a kill from Mihajlo Gomez, but the Cardinals forced the Duhawks to make two errors and soon took a 2-1 lead. Both teams traded points, keeping the set tied up through 1010, but Loras went on a four-point run to regain the lead, 14-10. North Central battled back with kills from Bozhidar Kolev, Nick Lilley, and Justin Curtis, but the Duhawks would ultimately take the first set, 25-22. In the second set, it was North Central that jumped ahead to an early 6-1 lead thanks to kills from Lilley and Jake Braceros off the hands of Michael Trunzo. The Cardinals’ offense was too strong for the Duhawks as Braceros and Curtis hit two more kills and a sneak attack from Trunzo put the home team up 17-9. Jacob Zemba added a kill to give North Central a nine point lead before a kill from Koleb and block by Braceros set the Cardinals up for set point where Trunzo connected with Lilley to win the second set, 25-14. With the match tied 1-1, it was clear neither team was going to go down easy. The Duhawks challenged North Central in the third set by taking a 5-2 lead following a kill from Leo Peters and strong defensive play. Kolev answered the Duhawks’ run with a kill to cut the score 5-3, but Loras continued to put points on the board and take an 11-8 lead. A kill from Curtis followed by both him and Lilley going up for a block a point later brought North Central within one of Loras, but the Duhawks responded with three straight points and forced the Cardinals to take a timeout. Coming out of the break, Curtis put away a kill to spark three more points for North Central, tying the set 14-14.
Despite the mid-set comeback, the Duhawks went on to score five straight points and hang on for a 25-20 win. Just as they had done in the second set, the Cardinals came onto the court in the fourth set with fire, taking a 5-1 lead off of kills from Crawford, Lilley, and Braceros, in addition to a block by Lilley and ace from Crawford. North Central found a rhythm on offense, extending the lead, 16-8 before kills from Curtis, Braceros, and Lilley put them ahead by ten. Loras had too much ground to make up, trailing 22-12, and a kill from Braceros gave North Central the fourth set and forced the Cardinals’ second five-set match of the season. North Central had not played a five-set battle since Feb. 2 against California Lutheran University and had come away with the win after taking the fifth set to extra points and the Cardinals were not facing a fifth set with the season on the line. The Cardinals took a 7-4 lead following kills from Crawford and Lilley and a string of Duhawks errors, but Loras knotted the suspenseful fifth set 13-13 after trading points with North Central for most of the set. Dylan Ross set Loras up for match point and following the serve from Alfredo Lopez, Crawford went up for the kill, only to be blocked by Leo Peters to score the match point for Loras and bring North Central’s phenomenal season to an end. Lilley led North Central with 12 kills and Crawford and Braceros each had ten. Lilley also had a team-high two service aces and four blocks while Trunzo tallied 41 assists and Braceros and Samuel Kharasch shared the team lead for digs with 11 each. The 2018 season proved to be a step in the right direction for the young program as the Cardinals secured the program’s second win against a top-15 opponent, graduated its first senior class, went undefeated in MCVL play during the regular season to win the outright conference title and host the MCVL Tournament, and advanced to the MCVL Tournament. North Central also had four players earn First and Second Team All-MCVL honors for the first time in program history.
CALENDAR Until AUGUST 11 “Are We There Yet?” Exhibit at
Downers Grove Museum, 831 Maple Ave., Downers Grove. Take a trip through the history of vacations, tourism and leisure from the Industrial Revolution to the present day. This exhibit explores how Downers Grove residents and tourists who visited the village planned, enjoyed and remembered their travels. 630-9631300 or visit dgparks.org.
APRIL 20 Woodridge Band Pasta Dinner Fundraiser. 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Jef-
ferson Jr High School S, 7200 Janes Avenue, Woodridge. Woodridge Organization of Music Parents (WOMP), the band booster organization for Woodridge School District 68, is hosting its 4th Annual Pasta Dinner & Raffle. Pasta donations from many favorite local restaurants including Doggie Diner, Papa’s Pizza, Clara’s, Shanahan’s, Steven’s, Al’s Pizzeria, Nancy’s Pizza, Buca Di Beppo, Home Run Inn, Gatto’s, and Capri. $10 per adult ($8 pre-sale), $5 per child, 3 & under free. Tickets: https://mkt.com/ store/WOMP
APRIL 21 Electronics Recycling Program.
8 a.m. at Downers Grove Township Highway Department Facility, 318 E. Quincy Street, Westmont. The program is the third Saturday of each month, unless a holiday. There are a few program changes including a charge for TVs. AVA Recycling will be the new recycling vendor. For more info go to AVArecycling.com or call 847-397-2900.
Lisle’s Largest Free Paper Shred Event. 9 a.m.-noon. at Lisle Senior
High School, 1800 Short Street, Lisle. The Lisle Park District offers, free, secure, on-site paper shredding to residents to drive-up and drop off documents while an on-site industrial shredder destroys the documents at no charge. All shredded material is recycled. Limit of 5 paper bags per car, no exceptions.
Annual Healthy Kids Day®.
10 a.m.- noon at Indian Boundary YMCA, 711 59th St., Downers Grove. A variety of family-friendly activities for the YMCA’s 27th annual Healthy Kids Day®, the Y’s national initiative to improve the health and well-being of kids and families.
APRIL 24 “American Home Garden Design 1830 to the Present.” 7 p.m.
at Avery Coonley School, 1400 Maple Ave., Downers Grove. Author and lecturer Nina Koziol will discuss how home garden design has changed since the Midwest was first settled. You will learn more about design evolution, the rise of the suburban lawn movement, foundation plantings, cottage gardens, moon gardens and heirloom plants to name a few. Register online at eventbright.com.
MAY 6 Gilbert & Sullivan Wit. 3 p.m. at
Immanuel Lutheran Church, 5211 Carpenter St, Downers Grove. Gilbert & Sullivan’s Trial by Jury & Gade Holbergiana Suite, op. 61 The Sinfonietta Bel Canto is conducted by Dan Pasquale D’Andrea of Downers Grove. www.SinfoniettaBelCanto.org.
upcoming events in your area WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2018 | buglenewspapers.com
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business + real estate
News about local businesses in your community WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2018 | buglenewspapers.com
column >> dave says
Don’t give debt collectors account access You’re in a fight when you’re dealing with a debt collector Dear Dave, Will paying my taxes online give the government electronic access to my checking account? Ashley
Dear Ashley, If you use your checking account, of course they will have the ability to withdraw that money from your account. I believe I know where you’re going with this question, and I think you may be a little confused about my stance on this sort of thing. There’s nothing wrong with certain entities having access to your checking account. I use electronic bill pay for utilities, mutual fund contributions, and things like that
all the time. The only time I warn people against giving electronic access to their bank accounts is when they’re dealing with collectors over a bad debt. The government —
even the IRS — isn’t known for coming in and randomly taking money out of people’s accounts. Collectors, on the other hand, do it all the time. You’re in a fight when you’re dealing with a debt collector. It’s an adversarial relationship. As a rule, no one in that industry should ever be given electronic access to any of your accounts. There may be a few decent debt collection companies out there, but many of them will lie, cheat, and steal to get your money. I hope that clears things up, Ashley. —Dave Dear Dave, How can I convince my fellow millennials that government isn’t the solution to their problems?
Josh Dear Josh, I think you’re proceeding from a false assumption. Many millennials already understand it’s not the government’s job to take care of everyone and provide everything. The problem, I think, is there’s a group of people in every generation that wants someone else to take care of them. The only thing I can suggest is that you try to be kind to everyone. It does no good to have a political discussion with a political neophyte. If you have friends like this, perhaps you could suggest they work to control and improve the variables in their lives they can actually control and make better — namely themselves.
DuPage County Board
Board to dissolve North Westmont Fire The DuPage County Board voted unanimously Tuesday, April 10, to initiate a process to dissolve the North Westmont Fire Protection District. When dissolution is complete, the North Westmont Fire District will be the fifth unit of local government DuPage County dissolved. The action eliminates the district’s annual tax levy and for-
gives the district’s debt, totaling $300,000 over the past five years. An additional $11,000 in annual administrative expenses will be redirected to support fire services. Through the agreement with Westmont, the village will equitably apportion the costs of fire protection services while providing fire and ambulance service for residents of the district in unin-
corporated Westmont. “This is a great example of local government collaboration benefiting taxpayers. The agreement resulted in sustainable funding for a vital public service. I commend Westmont officials and fire district representatives who worked closely with residents developing and enacting this new model for fire service,” said DuPage County
Board Chairman Dan Cronin. A 2016 survey found most residents were in favor of dissolving the North Westmont Fire District and receiving fire protection service from the Village of Westmont. In June 2017, the DuPage County Board gave the Village of Westmont permission to establish a Special Service Area to provide a fair and equitable rate for fire ser-
vices for all residents. Westmont approved the establishment of an SSA in December, and the County Clerk established the SSA in February. DuPage County previously dissolved Timberlake Estates Sanitary District, DuPage Fair and Exposition Authority, Fairview Fire Protection District, and Century Hill Street Lighting District.
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schools
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F R OM T H E S U R R OUN D ING COUNTY A R EA
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2018 | buglenewspapers.com
district 99
23 from District 99 earn National German Exam recognition District 99 students took the optional National German Exam in late 2017 and earned recognition for their performance. 23 students from North High and South High earned awards based on their level of class (see lists below). The National German Exam is administered each year to over 26,000 high school students of German. The exam, now in its 58th year, provides individual diagnostic feedback, rewards students through an extensive regional and national prize program, and creates a sense of accomplishment. Exam results provide teachers a means of comparing students in all regions of the country, as well as programmatic data to help inform curricular decisions. “We are incredibly proud of our students earning this prestigious
recognition,” said South High German teacher Sarah Moreno. “Our hope is that they will continue their language studies into their college career and even abroad.” Janet Stock also teaches German at South High. “Taking the National German Exam shows commitment to the language and a dedication to continue to learn and grow,” said North High German teacher Gunde Iwersen-Burrit. “These rigorous exams include listening and viewing segments, which help students to develop competence in communicating effectively and with cultural competence.” Anne Herrmann also teaches German at North High.
D.99 Academic Summer Camp registration now open District 99 will offer five academic summer camps in June for school grades ranging from 3rd
through 8th grade. Students may participate in any of the camps, regardless of area of attendance within District 99. Each academic summer camp is taught by experience instructors. All camps will run subject to enrollment and are located at North High in Downers Grove. Participants are to be registered no later than one week before the start of each session - online registration can be found here. District 99 academic summer camps being offered: • Girls in STEM • Open to students entering 6th, 7th, and 8th grade • Cost: $90 • June 11-13: 9 a.m. - Noon • Architecture/Engineering • Open to students entering 6th, 7th, and 8th grade • Cost: $90 • June 11-13: Noon - 3 p.m. • Robotics • Open to students entering 6th, 7th, and 8th grade • Cost: $90
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community
Get prepared for camp Parents can help kids prepare in advance for the fun Summer camp season is just around the corner. Each summer, millions of children depart for campsites around the country to swim, hike, craft, and enjoy the companionship of friends. Summer camps in North America were first established in the 1880s and were attended by children without their parents for overnight stays. By the 20th century, summer camps had become an international phenomenon, and various organizations hosted traditional summer camps or camps geared toward religion, sports, music and other subjects and activities. According to the American Camp Association, each year more than 14 million children and adults in the United States attend camp. America is home to more than 14,000 day and resident camps (8,400 are overnight camps and 5,600 are day camps). Nonprofit groups are the largest sponsors of summer camps. Many people put off summer camp planning until it is too late. Parents should keep in mind that camps begin registration
early in the year and have specific cut-off dates for enrollment. Parents who want to beat the crowds this year can use this guide to help plan a summer camp agenda. Prepare children for the physical challenges a camp may present. Summer camp activities may be rigorous, and campers may need to be cleared by a physician before starting. Be sure to schedule your child a physical and bring along any pertinent forms. Children also can increase their levels of physical activity compared to the often sedentary nature of winter. Such preparation can prevent injuries when engaging in outdoor and physical activities. Shop for supplies. Camps are likely to provide a list of requirements with regard to clothing and other equipment campers will need. Make sure kids have enough shorts, T-shirts, socks, athletic shoes, swimsuits, toiletries, and other camp necessities before they leave. Keep children in the loop. Engage children in the planning process to help alleviate their fears and get them excited about summer camp. Summer camp can foster lifelong memories. Parents can help kids prepare in advance for the fun that’s soon to arrive.
summer camp
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2018 | buglenewspapers.com
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