AI061523

‘Big Idea’ winners

Man charged with aggravated DUI in deadly crash at Bensenville intersection

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Bensenville

Chief of Police Daniel Schulze

announced that bond has been set for a Chicago man charged with running a red light at a Bensenville

intersection and crashing his vehicle into another, killing the female driver.

Armando Salkic, 22, appeared at a bond hearing where Judge Margaret O’Connell set bond at $1 million. Salkic is charged with two counts of aggravated DUI causing death, a Class 2 Felony.

It is alleged that on Friday, June 2 at approximately 3:35 a.m., Salkic

was traveling at a high rate of speed in a Volkswagen Jetta southbound on York Road when he disregarded a red stop light at the intersection of York Road and Irving Park Road and crashed his car into the victim’s Honda CRV. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Following the crash, Salkic was transported to an area hospital for medical treatment. Once released from the hospital, he was taken into custody and transported to the DuPage County Jail.

Salkic’s BAC was allegedly .194, more than twice the legal limit, approximately two and a half hours

after the crash.

“Once again, an innocent life has been tragically lost to an alleged drunk driver,” Berlin said. “Not only is drinking and driving dangerous, reckless and selfish, it too often turns fatal, as is alleged in this case.”

“My heart goes out to the victim’s family and the victim who was on her way to work,” Schulze said. “Our officers and the MERIT team did a great job.”

Salkic’s next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday, June 29 for arraignment in front of Judge O’Connell.

Armando Salkic

Elmhurst University students Aaliya Khaja (left) and Miftha Syed recently won first place at the Big Idea Pitch Contest, hosted by Innovation DuPage and College of DuPage. Khaja is a resident of Addison, while Syed lives in Lombard. Story and another photo inside.

Features works of comic superhero illustrator Alex Ross; includes outdoor installation

The Elmhurst Art Museum, located at 150 So. Cottage Hill in Wilder Park, just south of the award-winning Elmhurst Public Library, in the heart of the City, has opened its new summer blockbuster exhibition Marvelocity: The Art of Alex Ross, on display now through Sunday, Aug. 20. Appealing to families and fans alike, the dynamic and richly engaging Marvelocity: The Art of Alex Ross is a must-see this summer.

Upcoming programs

Throughout the run of the exhibit,

the museum will host family-friendly activities, workshops, and more to celebrate one of the most renowned artists in the field of comic books.

On Saturday, June 24 from 1-4 p.m., the Elmhurst Art Museum is hosting a Family Day program, Exploring Superheroes. The museum invites families to get creative through superhero-themed hands-on art activities inspired by the works in Marvelocity: The Art of Alex Ross. Visitors can explore their own personal superpowers, create custom power cuffs and masks, learn figure drawing with costumed

superheroes, and more. Advance registration is required, free with exhibit admission or membership. For a list of upcoming programs or to register, visit elmhurstartmuseum.org.

More about Alex Ross, Marvelocity

From his home in the Chicago area, Alex Ross has revitalized classic superheroes into works of fine art for more than 30 years, illustrating characters such as Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Storm from the X-Men, the Avengers, Black Panther,

Elmhurst University

Summer Band Concerts

and many more.

Born in Portland, Oregon, and raised in Lubbock, Texas, Alex Ross made his artistic debut at three when, according to his mother, he grabbed a piece of paper and drew the contents of a television commercial he had seen moments before. By age 13, he was scripting and drawing original comic books. Ten years later, he was hired by Marvel Comics to illustrate Marvel’s central characters in the comic book event, Marvels (1994).

Ross’s work has celebrated the 60th anniversaries of Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel, and Wonder Woman with fully-painted, tabloid-sized books, depicting each of these characters using their powers to inspire humanity as well as help them. Ross’s hugely successful comic book series Kingdom Come (1996) is considered to have ushered the close of the “Dark Age” of comic books, in which pessimism, violence, and gritty stories ruled, into the birth of the “Modern Age” of optimism and strong superheroes.

In addition to superhero projects, Ross created Uncle Sam, a 96-page story that took a hard look at the dark side of American history.

In recent years, Ross has applied his artistic skills to outside projects with comic book roots, including a limited-edition promotional poster for the Academy Awards. In 2015, Alex was chosen by Apple Corps LTD to be commissioned as the first artist in more than 30 years to paint the Fab Four. Ross is a multi-year winner of the Comic Buyer’s Guide Award for Favorite Painter.

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& June 28

7PM Gates of Knowledge Lawn (rain site - Hammerschmidt Chapel)

One of the must-see events of the summer, the EAM exhibition features more than 50 pieces of original artwork by Ross, including artwork from his retrospective book, Marvelocity

The exhibition explores how Ross developed into a renowned illustrator from his childhood drawings to preliminary sketches, sophisticated paintings, and three-dimensional head busts of characters across the Marvel Universe. Superheroes now appearing in Wilder Park

In tandem with the exhibition, the Elmhurst Art Museum commissioned the outdoor public art installation Superheroes in Wilder Park that will be on view in the adjacent Wilder Park now through Monday, July 31, with an accompanying audio guide accessible via QR code about the inspiration behind each of the sculptures.

The eight Superheroes in Wilder Park were created by four lead artists (Rafael Blanco, Studio Nez, Dave Pryor, and Charles Williams Jr.) and four youth groups led by the museum’s teaching artists. At multiple workshops the youth groups explored the history and evolution of superhero comics, character study, drawing and coloring techniques, and superhero character development with their final work painted on life-sized, stand-alone, wooden cutouts. The finished pieces were created by Robert Apolinar with Elmhurst University students, Esmeralda Bolivar with the Elmhurst Pride Collective, John Nester with Glenbard North High School students, and Gloria Rivera with B. Unity & F.O.C.U.O.S. members.

The Elmhurst Art Museum is open Wednesday and Thursday from 12 – 5 p.m., Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Regular admission prices are $18 for adults (ages 18+), $15 for seniors, $10 for students, and $5 for children. For more information, please call 630-834-0202 or visit elmhurstartmuseum.org.

STEVEN M KOCH PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

31.

The Marvelocity exhibition stays through Sunday, Aug. 20.

Elmhurst Art Museum opens ‘Marvelocity’ exhibition

Elmhurst University cuts ribbon on E-celerator Innovation Center Recognizes students who took first in Big Idea pitch contest

Elmhurst University recently celebrated the spirit—and practice—of entrepreneurship by cutting the ribbon on the new E-celerator Innovation Space and applauding two students whose idea took first prize in the competitive Big Idea startup pitch contest held at College of DuPage.

Campus leaders gathered in May for the grand opening of the E-celerator, a dedicated physical space in the A.C. Buehler Library where students can meet and explore their entrepreneurial aspirations. A bright, airy room furnished with moveable tables and seating, the space is an important part of the university’s efforts to foster successful student entrepreneurship by providing them with the necessary knowledge, resources and mentorship.

“This is a great opportunity to celebrate the spirit of innovation that’s thriving here at Elmhurst, and we’re very proud to see that spirit finding a wonderful new home,” said Elmhurst University President Troy D. VanAken.

He thanked a number of groups and organizations for their support of entrepreneurship at the university, including:

• The PNC Foundation, which has awarded $30,000 annual grants to Elmhurst for the past four years;

• Innovation DuPage, a business incubator/ accelerator that has partnered with the University to help navigate the launch of the E-celerator and provide ideas for programming;

• The A.C. Buehler Library, which provided the space for the E-celerator;

• The Elmhurst U. Innovation Committee, which awarded a grant that helped to cover the renovation costs for the new space.

“Our long-term vision was to create and

champion an entrepreneurial spirit at Elmhurst University and its surrounding communities,” said Martin Gahbauer, executive director of the Weigand Center for Professional Excellence. “The funds allowed us to bring to life the vision we had for the space—it is now a dynamic and creative place that encourages inventiveness and innovation.”

Contest winners recognized

During the grand opening, one of the E-celerator’s most recent—and among its biggest—success stories also enjoyed some time in the spotlight. Patrick Yanahan, the E-celerator’s entrepreneur in residence, announced that rising seniors Miftha Syed, of Lombard, and Aaliya Khaja, of Addison, had beaten nearly 40 other applicants to win the $5,000 first prize at the Big Idea Pitch Contest, hosted by Innovation DuPage and College of DuPage.

Their winning pitch was for their app Instapark, which uses geolocation to help college and university commuters find open parking spots on campus and solves the universal problem of having to circle parking lots in search of a spot.

Their unique solution also demonstrated the ability to provide revenue-sharing advertising from local businesses to users of the app. In addition to the prize money, Syed and Khaja received a six-month membership to Innovation DuPage, and access to expert and mentoring resources to help them refine their idea.

“It’s such an exciting time for innovation and entrepreneurship at Elmhurst,” Yanahan said. “I couldn’t be prouder of our students and how they’re making the most of these new opportunities and resources.”

Elmhurst University Humanities program awarded prestigious federal grant Goal is to expand, enhance education partnership with Addison Trail, Willowbrook

An Elmhurst University program that encourages underserved and uncertain students to embrace the idea of attending college has been awarded a highly competitive National Endowment for the Humanities grant worth $59,400.

The federal grant for Elmhurst’s Spotlight on Humanities in Higher Education Development project will enhance and expand an educational partnership that the University has had for the past few years with Addison Trail High School in Addison and Willowbrook High School in Villa Park.

“The goal of the program is to help students who might not see themselves as college-bound have a little more self-confidence and see themselves as capable of attending college,” said Erika McCombs, assistant professor in the Department of English and the project director. “They are good students but don’t consider themselves college-bound.”

Since 2020, Elmhurst U. has offered Addison Trail and Willowbrook high school students an opportunity to earn collegiate English composition and literature credits at Elmhurst while completing their high school degree requirements. Students take the college-level courses in their high schools, visit Elmhurst to observe first-year seminar courses and participate in an English 105 class, and work with Elmhurst faculty on their college applications.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant, which went into effect on

June 1, will allow the program to expand and to serve more students. Specifically, the grant will fund several new initiatives, including:

• A summer program for rising seniors. Beginning this summer, students will visit Elmhurst U. and experience college-level humanities studies.

• Field trips for underserved students. Many of the students at Addison Trail and Willowbrook lack the opportunity to participate in cultural events and activities, McCombs said. The grant will fund field trips to a play at a theater and to a museum.

• Professional development for high school educators. This part of the grant would provide 10 hours of professional development training to at least 35 high school humanities teachers to help them diversify the curriculum and better prepare their students for higher education.

Participation in the collegiate extension program, now in its third year, has tripled since the fall of 2020. In its first year, 23 students took part. This year, that number is 109.

McCombs wrote the NEH grant request with Amy Ferraro, chair of the English Department at Addison Trail; and Portia Ransom, chair of the English Department at Willowbrook. Ferraro and Ransom are project co-directors.

NEH grants are awarded to projects that promote lifelong learning and preserve history. Elmhurst was one of only 10 institutions in Illinois to receive funding.

EMMA FILIPSSON PHOTOS Rock Valley Publishingt

Attendees at the grand opening for the E-celerator Innovation Space include (from left) Martin Gahbauer, executive director of the Weigand Center for Professional Excellence; Entrepreneur in Residence Patrick Yanahan; student Jessica Pavliukovecas; and Elmhurst U. President Troy D. VanAken.

IndependenT

Your Hometown Newspaper

240 N. West Avenue Elmhurst, IL. 60126

Main Phone 630.834-8244 Fax 630.834-0900

The Independent is published every Thursday by Rock Valley Publishing, LLC, 240 N. West Avenue, Elmhurst, IL. 60126.

Display Advertising: 630.834-8355

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News Coordinator

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Pete Cruger

Publisher

Advertising: Brenda Garcia

Subscriptions:

The Independent is mailed to the 60101, 60106 and 60181 zip code areas for $15.95 yearly. Out-of-area mail subscriptions are $29.95 yearly. For home delivery information call 630.834-8244.

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Content appearing in the Independent may not be reprinted without permission of the publisher or editor. Requests should be directed to Independent@rvpublishing.com or 630.834-8244.

Postmaster: Please send address changes to: THE INDEPENDENT

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Office Hours: Monday-Friday 11am-3pm

New police officers take oath

Nine new Addison police officers were sworn-In at Addison Village Board meeting held on Monday, June 5. Pictured are (from left): Bianca Reyes, formerly with LaGrange Police Department, Justin Skupien, who holds a degree in Fire Science, Joe Kukla, formerly with Elmhurst Police Department, Brayan Covarrubias, who holds a degree in psychology, criminology, and sociology; Jake Crandall, a former dispatcher with Addison Consolidated Dispatch Center, Jack Frakes, a retired U.S. Army infantry sergeant with combat deployment to Afghanistan, Daisy Raya, formerly with Oak Park Police Department, Daniel Kopacz and Joseph Ferrici, both previously with Chicago Police Department.

Petty Kings to headline June 15 Rock N’ Wheels

The Village of Addison continues its 12th season of Rock ‘N Wheels every Thursday through the summer, from 6 to 10 p.m. on the Village Green. Rock ‘N Wheels includes live music, food and beverages from Addison restaurants, attractions available for children, and more.

On Thursday, June 15, Blondie tribute band The Atomic Blonde will take the stage at 6:30, followed by headliner Petty Kings at 8. Food and beverages will be available for purchase from Addison’s very own: Barbara’s Polish Deli, Tacos Puebla, Lou Malnati’s, 601 Bar & Grill, Nuova Italia, Flavor Frenzy, and Dunkley’s.

Additionally on Thursday, June 15, the Addison Historical Museum will be an open house right across Army Trail Blvd., where Louretta Schnieder will lead a quilting demonstration.

Veenstra honored by Addison Knights

Addison Mayor Rich Veenstra received the “Knight of the Year” award from the Damen-Hildebrand Council 650 of the Knights of Columbus at the June 4 Communion Brunch event. Presenting the award was Grand Knight Michael Bruntz. The Knights distributed more than $26,000 to benefit 12 area agencies in support persons with developmental challenges, and other educational and human service programs, raised through campaigns including the annual Tootsie Roll drive in Addison.

A Craft & Vintage Fair will also be going on in front of the museum.

Parking is available at Friendship Plaza, as well as at Indian Trail High School, located at 222 No. John F. Kennedy Dr. For more information and the complete season lineup, visit ItHappensInAddison.com.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

SUBMITTED PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

Bethel Church free piano concert to celebrate summer solstice

Bethel United Church of Christ in Elmhurst will offer “Word and Note” on Wednesday, June 21 at 7 p.m., a free concert honoring the summer solstice and featuring renowned pianist Jeffrey Panko. The program will be interspersed with secular poetry, read by Pastor Gretchen Sylvester.

Panko has received critical acclaim as both a soloist and in collaborative efforts with artists throughout the U.S. and Europe. A top prize winner in international competitions, Panko has been featured in performances at Carnegie Hall, Weill Hall, Lincoln Center, WQXR Radio (New York), is a frequent performer on WFMT Radio (Chicago) and has appeared

at the Symphony Center playing the music of Steven Sondheim for Mr. Sondheim himself.

The program will include works of Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Schumann and Albeniz.

An artist faculty member of the New Music School piano faculty in Chicago, Panko has served as minister of music and as artistic director of the Music@Bethel Concert series since its 1999 inception.

Bethel United Church of Christ is located at 315 East St. Charles Road just west of Sandburg Middle School. The church is accessible and parking is free. For more informa

Pictured is renowned pianist Jeffrey Panko, who will perform in concert as part of a free summer solstice celebration at Bethel United Church of Christ on Wednesday, June 21 at 7 p.m. Panko is Bethel’s minister of music and has been artistic director of the Music@Bethel concert series since its 1999 inception.

sainttimothy.org

Police Reports

Area police departments recently reported the following arrests and citations.

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. Persons charged with domestic battery are not named in order to protect the privacy of victims. Juveniles age 17 or younger are not named.

Addison

June 6

Eric J. Whiten, 26, of Chicago, was charged with obstructing identification at 2:01 a.m.

June 4

Rubelio M. Garcia Pascual, 23, of Addison, was charged with DUI near Lake and JFK at 12:15 a.m.

Hector L. Ortiz, 27, of Glendale Heights, was charged with obstructing a police officer and criminal trespass to a building in the 1300 block of W. Lake at 1:41 p.m.

Police said Jose A. Roman Reyes, 37, of Glendale Heights, was issued a warrant near Army Trail and Central at 3:09 a.m.

A 23-year-old Addison man was charged with two counts of domestic battery in the 200 block of S. Evergreen.

June 3

Leonel A. Nolasco Valle, 26, of Bensenville, was charged with DUI, transportation of liquor by a driver and two counts of improper lane usage near Lake and Grand at 1:47 a.m.

June 1

Hector E. Martinez, 50, of Addison, was charged with battery in the 100 block of S. Addison at 3:45 p.m.

Villa Park

June 3

Jermaine D. Cooks, 37, of Madison, Wis., was charged with armed habitual criminal/felon possessing a weapon/firearm/ammo and resisting or obstructing a police officer in the 400 block of W. Division at 11:43 p.m.

June 2

Police said Thomas L. Ayers, 37, of Schiller Park, was arrested on an original complainant and warrant for an alleged incident that occurred March 14.

Trevor A. Cunningham, 28, of Berwyn, was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon that was loaded/no FOID or FCCA card in the 1-1-100 block of W. Roosevelt at 11:23 p.m.

Elaine P. Santoyo, 50, of Villa Park, was charged with driving while license revoked for DUI— fourth to ninth offense—and no insurance in the 100 block of E. Kenilworth at 10:01 p.m.

Police said Eric Sutton, 58, of Lombard, was arrested on a failure to appear warrant out of Cook County near E. St. Charles and S. Pick at 1:17 p.m. Sutton also was

charged with driving while license revoked for DUI.

A 60-year-old Villa Park man was charged with domestic battery in the 100 block of E. Kenilworth at 10:01 p.m.

June 1

A 32-year-old Forest Park man was charged with two counts of domestic battery in the 600 block of W. Roy at 3:50 p.m.

A complainant near E. Plymouth and N. Hamilton reported at 8:41 p.m. that a subject’s dogs attacked them while they were walking on a sidewalk.

A complainant at a business in the 1-100 block of E. North reported that a suspect removed a vehicle from the parking lot. The vehicle was later located.

May 31

Kimberly C. Lowery, 52, of Wheaton, was charged with theft/ unauthorized control with intent not exceeding $500 at a store in the 100 block of W. Roosevelt for an alleged incident that occurred April 12.

A complainant at a music store in the 200 block of W. Roosevelt reported at 2:54 p.m. that an unknown suspect removed a guitar and left the store without paying.

May 30

Christopher G. Hanson, 43, of Lombard, was charged with DUI, leaving the scene of an accident involving damage to an attended vehicle, transportation or possession of open alcohol by a driver and no insurance in the 1-100 block of W. Roosevelt at 10:47 p.m.

A complainant in the 200 block of E. Monroe reported at 10:08 p.m. that an unknown suspect damaged a front window of a home with a BB gun.

May 29

A complainant in the 600 block of N. Bierman reported at 8:55 p.m. that an unknown suspect removed a white marble statue from the front yard of their home.

May 26

A complainant in the 300 block of N. Iowa reported at 6:54 p.m. that they were battered by a suspect.

Fraud, identity theft

According to information provided last week by the Villa Park Police Department, police reported one incident of residents being a victim of fraud or identity theft.

Bensenville

The Bensenville Police Department 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.

June 7, 2 a.m. in the 500 block of N. York Road, a complainant reported unknown suspects in their facility. This case is under investigation. BEPC2300471

June 7, 5:22 p.m. near Tower Lane and Mark Street, a complainant reported their trailer was stolen by an unknown suspect. This case is under investigation. BEPC2300474

June 7, 12:17 a.m. near Butterfield Road and Trans Am Place, Oak Brook, tactical officers assisted Oak Brook police on a homicide investigation. BEP23006416

June 6, 2:02 p.m. in the 1000 block of N. Ellis St., a complainant reported their Amazon package was never received that was supposedly delivered in May. This incident is under investigation. BEP23006396

June 5, 9:26 a.m. in the 700 block of County Line Road, a complainant reported 4 full propane tanks were stolen. This case is under investigation. BEPC2300469

June 5, 2:18 p.m. in the 100 block of S. York Road, a complainant reported an unknown suspect scraped a name on her vehicle. This case is under investigation. BEP23006356

June 4, 2:34 a.m. in the 100 block of Foley Street, a complainant reported an unknown suspect threw a rock through their living room window. This incident is under investigation. BEPC2300463

June 4, 1:55 PM, on the 500 block of E. Jefferson St., the complainant reported their car stolen by an unknown offender. This case is under investigation. BEPC2300464

June 4, 5:09 p.m. near E. Jefferson St. and S. Evergreen St., a Bensenville officer recovered a vehicle stolen out of Chicago.

BEPC2300465

June 4, 5:42 p.m. in the 100 block of S. Center St., a complainant reported their vehicle damaged. The front windshield smashed, and driver’s side tires slashed. This case is under investigation. BEPC2300466

June 3, 7:31 p.m. in the 100 block of Gerry Steven Court, a complainant reported being battered by unknown individuals. This case is under investigation. BEPC2300462

June 3, 11:36 p.m. near S. Route 83 and Sherwood Drive, Wood Dale, a Bensenville officer assisted a Wood Dale Police Department with the report of a car fire.

BEP23006287

June 3, 11:46 p.m. a Bensenville police officer assisted Wood Dale police with a domestic at a location in Wood Dale. BEP23006288

June 3, 2:51 p.m. in the 100 block of Henderson Street, a complainant reported their vehicle rear window damaged. This incident is under investigation. BEPC2300461

June 2, 10:47 a.m. near 3rd Avenue and Church Road, Elmhurst broadcast a license plate reader hit at Third and Church for a vehicle which allegedly committed a burglary to a vehicle. The vehicle was located at George and York but fled into Franklin Park where the officer lost sight of it. BEP23006199

New law limits venue for constitutional lawsuits to Sangamon, Cook counties

Pritzker signs bill backed by attorney general and passed with only Democratic support

By Peter Hancock CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

People who file lawsuits in state courts challenging the constitutionality of a state law, administrative rule or executive order will now have to file those cases in either Sangamon or Cook counties.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed House Bill 3062 last week, which applies only to cases brought against the state or any of its officers, employees or agents in which the plaintiff seeks to have a law, rule or action declared unconstitutional or they seek an injunction on the grounds of constitutionality. However, it also specifically exempts cases arising out of collective bargaining disputes.

It cleared the General Assembly with only Democratic support.

The bill came in response to a flurry of lawsuits filed in recent years in courthouses throughout the state challenging such things as Pritzker’s COVID-19 mitigation orders, a law that would end cash bail, and, most recently, the state’s ban on assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines.

Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, who sponsored the bill in the Senate, said those cases typically end up being consolidated, and most of them eventually end up before the Illinois Supreme Court, which sits in Springfield and Chicago.

But he also accused plaintiffs’ attorneys in recent cases of selectively choosing where they file their cases in order to improve their chances of finding judges who may be more sympathetic to their cause, a practice Harmon described as “forum shopping.”

“And what we have seen recently is similar cases being filed in scores of counties, causing the attorney general to have to defend the same action in multiple counties with forum shopping,” he said during floor debate on the bill. “This is a simple effort to make sure that all important, critical constitutional questions end up in the right venue.”

But Senate Republican Leader John Curran, of Downers Grove, accused Democrats of engaging in their own brand of venue shopping by restricting constitutional challenges to courts in Springfield and Chicago.

“Courts exist to serve the people, which is why they are located where people live,” he said in a statement after Pritzker announced the bill signing. “This legislation is clearly an attempt by the governor and the attorney general to send constitutional challenges to courts that they believe will be more favorable to the administration.”

Harmon argued that while Springfield is the state capital, Chicago is also a kind of second seat of

exist to serve the people, which is why they are located where people live. This legislation is clearly an attempt by the governor and the attorney general to send constitutional challenges to courts that they believe will be more favorable to the administration.”

state government.

“The statutes are actually replete with jurisdictional references to Cook and Sangamon as the two primary jurisdictions,” he said. “I think it’s the same reason that I have an office in Springfield and an office in Chicago; Leader Curran has an office in Springfield and an office in Chicago; the governor, the attorney general, all the constitutional officers have an office in Springfield and an office in Chicago. It is essentially an alternative place of government.”

Republicans, however, argued that it would inconvenience people who may be aggrieved by a state law or action but don’t live anywhere near Springfield or Chicago.

In the House, for example, state Rep. Patrick Windhorst, from the town of Metropolis on the banks of the Ohio River, noted that he lives closer to the state capital of Tennessee than he does to Springfield, and he is almost as close to Atlanta, Georgia, as he is to Chicago.

“So to say if this body passes an unconstitutional law, in order for me or another person in my community to contest that law, I’ve got to travel a great distance and bear that expense that comes with that, is not fair to the individuals in these communities,” he said during floor debate in the House.

The language of HB 3062 originated in the Senate and was inserted as a set of amendments into a House bill that originally dealt with landlord-tenant relations.

It passed the Senate on May 19 by a vote of 37-16. The House concurred with the amendments 69-35.

“Courts

–Sen. John Durran

Protect against tick-borne diseases when enjoying the great outdoors

Warmer weather is here, and as you make plans to be outdoors, the DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) is reminding residents to protect themselves and their families from diseases spread by tick bites.

Ticks are a threat year-round but are more active in warmer months— especially April through September.

Know where to expect ticks. Ticks live in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas, or on animals. Spending time outside walking your dog, camping, gardening, or hunting could bring you in close contact with ticks. Many people get ticks in their own yard or neighborhood.

Ticks can transmit several diseases, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and ehrlichiosis. Ticks that can carry these diseases have been found in DuPage County.

In recent years, Gulf Coast ticks collected from forest preserves in DuPage County have tested positive for Rickettsia parkeri which is closely related to Rickettsia rickettsii, the

causative agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF).

If you find a tick attached to your skin, remove the tick as soon as possible. Removing ticks right away can lower the chance of illness.

How to remove a tick:

1. Use clean, fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.

2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you cannot remove the mouth easily with tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.

3. After removing the tick, clean the tweezers or tick removal tool with alcohol and thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with

rubbing alcohol or soap and water.

4. Never crush a tick with your fingers. Dispose of a live tick by putting it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet. Watch for symptoms for 30 days. Call your healthcare provider if you get any of the following: rash, fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain or joint swelling and pain. Early treatment is important. Symptoms may occur from 3 to 30 days after a bite from an infected tick.

To protect against tick bites and the diseases they can spread:

• Know where to expect ticks. You may get a tick on you during outdoor activities around your home or when walking through leaves and bushes. To avoid ticks, walk in the center of trails and avoid walking through tall

bushes or other vegetation.

• Repel ticks on skin and clothing. Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an online tool to help you select the repellent that is best for you and your family. Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents with products containing 0.5% permethrin.

• Perform daily tick checks. Check your body for ticks after being outdoors, even in your own yard. Check clothes and pets carefully and remove any ticks that are found. Place clothes into a dryer on high heat to kill ticks.

• Prevent ticks on animals. Prevent

family pets from bringing ticks into the home by limiting their access to tick-infested areas and by using veterinarian-prescribed tick prevention products on your dog.

• Create tick-safe zones in your yard. Modify your landscaping to create “tick-safe zones.” It’s pretty simple. Keep patios, play areas, and playground equipment away from shrubs, bushes, and other vegetation. Regularly remove leaves, clear tall grasses and brush around your home, and place wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas to keep ticks away from recreational areas (and away from you).

Additional information on Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis and other tickborne diseases can be found on the DCHD website at: www.dupagehealth.org/234/Tick-Borne-Diseases.

Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois (GSNI) will host its 19th annual Thin Mint Sprint fundraising 5K fun run/ walk on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 8:30 a.m. to noon in partnership with the Fox River Grove Memorial Library Running Club. The race route will begin and end at Lions Park in Fox River Grove and take participants through scenic streets and neighborhoods along the Fox River for a timed run, ending with a postrace party.

Registration is $35 per person now July 31; $40 per person from Aug. 1–Sept. 15; and $45 per person on race day, Sept. 16. Registration fee includes Thin Mint Sprint T-shirt, chipped-timing bib, medal, fun patch, box of official Girl Scout Thin Mints® Cookies and extra swag items. Race packet pick-up will be available the week of Sept. 3. Register online at www.girlscoutsni.org/ tms.

All funds raised through the 19th annual Thin Mint Sprint will support GSNI’s financial assistance programs ensuring increased access for more local Girl Scout memberships, activities, and leadership experiences.

Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois serves 16 counties including parts or all of Boone, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit www.girlscoutsni. org or call 844-GSNI-4-ME (844476-4463).

Enhancing trail access

SUBMITTED PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County officials and guests recently gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the reinstallation of two bridges at Hidden Lake Forest Preserve in Downers Grove. The event, which was held on National Trails Day, marked the successful completion of another 2019 certified master plan project and enhanced trail access at the preserve. Pictured are (left to right) Forest Preserve District 2 Commissioner Tina Tyson-Dunne, President Daniel Hebreard, District 4 Commissioner Jeff Gahris, and District 3 Commissioner Linda Painter cutting the ribbon to officially open the newly restored “river bridge” at Hidden Lake.

Letter to the editor Resident asks others to support new author

A prayer from thousands of years old transcends into English meaning: “Do good for the sake of goodness and not for any reward.”

Shanaya Grant, pride of Elmhurst, epitomizes that phrase, as she spent her own money to research and compile these short real life inspirational stories and had them printed in these easy-to-read stories of one or two pages each. And to top it off, proceeds from the sale goes to pediatric cancer research.

A must read for all.

Shanaya grew up in Elmhurst. She attended Jackson Elementary and Bryan Middle Schools, graduating from York High School in 2013. She works for one of the Big Four accounting companies as a management consultant and currently lives in Chicago.

Approximately six years ago after watching the horror of a mass shooting event unfold on TV, Shanaya observed that the news media focused all their attention on the perpetrator of the crime. She realized we would come to know everything about this individual but absolutely nothing about the many people who had risked their lives to save others at this same horrific occurrence.

Shanaya resolved to write a book about ordinary people doing extraordinary things for mankind. She strongly believes the world is a beautiful place filled with good people.

To this end, she has spent countless hours researching, reaching out to these exceptional individuals, and writing their stories. Her emphasis is that we have choices on how we live our lives – a choice to count our

blessings, to find ways to bring happiness to others. We’re all capable of creating a positive impact on others in our daily lives – we just have to choose to do so.

This has been a passionate endeavor for Shanaya to show that there are more good people than bad in this world and to shed some light on the goodness of humankind in a world that increasingly seems to focus on the negative. All proceeds for the book will go to Shanaya’s favorite charity – St. Jude’s Hospital.

Let us encourage this young lady by buying all in print so a second edition is in the works.

If you cannot afford it let me know and we will order the first 35 copies.

Hosi Mehta

Slices of life

Turkey pine and other family favorites

One of the 1,107 things I love best about family is the little stories we create. The inside jokes.

The phrases only we understand, and the giggles we share because of them.

In my family we have quite a few. I bet you do as well. Cherish them. They represent memories.

They represent love.

When my husband and I were dating, for a time we lived across the country from one another. Every night, at the same time, we met together, to gaze at the same moon. I’d actually forgotten about this memory until I read about it in letters he’d written to me at that time. Now I look at the moon and think of him. Only him.

When our daughter started talking, the phrases just kept coming and coming. They only multiplied as the number in our family increased.

I’m not sure why, but grapes became bidgies. It was just how our daughter pronounced the word. We deemed it cute and it caught on. A family term. Likewise, green beans became gringo bingos. Broc-coli trees, circle peas and cau-liflowers all were part of dinnertime fodder.

Whenever she heard a sound

By JILL PERTLER COLUMNIST

that was unfamiliar, our daughter asked, “What’s that, beep beep?”

The phrase was quickly acclimated into our family vernacular.

Three boys came along after our first born daughter. With them came more Pertler fam-ily lingo. Thankfully, “I love you,” was a common phrase in our daily lives. When my kids re-sponded with “I love you, too.” I’d tell them, “I loved you first.” To which they replied, “I loved you second first.” Second first became akin to “I love you, too.”

One night we were all playing Scrabble and our youngest son tried to play the word, “huddleuppy.”

In between our laughter, we questioned his logic and he referred to his experience play-ing and watching football.

“You know, in between plays, everyone gets together and does a huddleuppy.”

This became such a legend in

our home that other words were born from it. For in-stance, when we watched TV on the couch, under a blanket at night it became a cuddle-uppy.

Somewhere along the line in family folklore, turkey lunchmeat sandwiches became tur-keypine. For years and years turkey lunchmeat was always turkeypine. Just recently, I asked the boys which one of them originally came up with the term and they all (as adults) thought that turkeypine was a legitimate term for lunchmeat.

And so it goes. I often, still, make them turkey-pine sandwiches. Made with love (and turkey) of course.

My daughter, the creator of bidgies, now has babies of her own. And with them has come new family traditions.

My granddaughter was born five years ago and her uncles embraced her immediately—with a nickname: chicken nugget.

They’d say, “You’re just a chicken nugget!”

She’d answer, “I’m not a chicken nugget! You’re a chicken nugget!”

It’s an exchange that’s exchanged freely between us all.

No one openly admits to be-ing a chicken nugget, but it’s a term of endearment we all recognize.

My husband and I went through a long-distance rela-tionship in our early days, and now I find myself in the same place with my grand babies. We don’t look to the moon—yet. That might be too late in the evening for them.

Instead, we visit via FaceTime and throw kisses—around the world—and catch them. I’ve gotten very good in my throwing and they’ve got-ten very accurate in their catching. It’s love going around the world.

Just like it went to the moon and back when my husband and I were dating.

Love knows no bounds—not distance, space or time.

The same can be said for family and traditions, experiences and history.

I’m lucky. I’ve experienced so much of all of the above. I hope you do, too. Kisses around the world and all.

Jill Pertler is an award-win-ning syndicated columnist, published playwright and au-thor. Don’t miss a slice; fol-low the Slices of Life page on Facebook.

2023

Meet Diane Kilcommons, Center Director of Huntington of Elmhurst

Huntington Learning Center helps every student become the best academic version of him/herself. Diane Kilcommons has a master’s degree in education and has taught for 40 years, including home educating her four children. Diane and her husband, Mark, have owned Huntington Learning Center for the past twelve years. Huntington Learning Center helps children improve their foundational skills in reading, writing, spelling, math, study skills, and phonics. They also help students prepare for college with their individualized ACT/SAT programs. Higher test scores mean more opportunities.

Many students have not become efficient learners due to the challenges they have experienced in their educational journeys. Huntington Learning Center helps every student become the best academic version of him/herself. When our students master skills, the direct result is higher confidence and motivation for learning.

Besides managing a learning center, Diane was very active in raising her children. Her oldest daughter, Lauren, has a master’s degree from Loyola and is a school psychologist in a suburban school district. Her second daughter, Julia has a master’s degree in nursing from DePaul and is a nurse practitioner in the western suburbs. Diane‘s youngest, twin sons, Patrick and John were able to benefit greatly by attending Huntington Learning Center themselves. Pat and John graduated from Dartmouth College and are gainfully employed on the West Coast.

Lauren is on the left, Diane is in the middle, and Julia is on the right.

Eva Sanchez, REALTOR®

With over 25 years in the industry, I am very well versed in the process of buying and selling a house and I am very experienced in the local market. Consistently ranked among the top REALTORS in the region, I have an e�ec�ve and e�cient o�ce team, innova�ve technology, and resources to take YOU to your next home!

An Elmhurst resident since 1996, I am a proud Elmhurst University alum and an ac�ve member of three of my favorite community organiza�ons: The Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce, The Elmhurst Lions Club and The Elmhurst Garden Club.

Get in the

Community Bank of Elmhurst ha created a “Business Zone” for all our customers at our 330 W. Butterfield Road location. The Zone features everything you need to work remotely in a comfortable and private space that can be your office away from your office! Even if you are working from home, the Business Zone can be a change of pace for you. If you need a place just for a day or so, the Business Zone can be a quick and convenient spot. If you need small, conference room space, we have that at our 133 N. York Street location and you can book it in advance by contacting us. Give the Business Zone a try, CBE “values our customers and community first”.

Pritzker set to consider signing more than 500 bills in the next three months

By Jerry Nowicki CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

Illinois lawmakers passed 566 bills through both chambers of the General Assembly in the recently concluded legislative session—all but one of them in May.

It sets the table for an approximate three-month bill-signing season for Gov. JB Pritzker. That’s because the state’s constitution gives legislative leaders 30 days from a bill’s passage to send it to the governor, who then has 60 days to sign or veto it.

If the governor takes no action in that time frame, the bill would become law automatically. Historically, the legislature has sent bills to the governor in batches, allowing his staff ample time to review the proposals.

The following are some of the bills that Pritzker will consider signing in the coming months.

Noncitizen licenses: A measure backed by Democratic Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias would allow residents of Illinois to obtain a standard driver’s license, rather than the “temporary visitor driver’s license” that is currently allowed under law. An applicant would be required to show their U.S. immigration documentation or, if they don’t have that, a passport or consular card. They would also have to prove they have car insurance.

A standard license can be used as identification, whereas a TVDL cannot. Advocates said that has made tasks such as buying alcohol or picking up a prescription challenging for many TVDL holders. Under House Bill 3882, noncitizens would still be ineligible to receive a federal Real ID certified license.

According to the secretary of state’s office, more than 300,000 people currently have a TVDL.

Those would still be valid until their expiration date, but the state would not issue any new ones.

It passed the House 67-35 and the Senate 33-18.

Noncitizen law enforcement : House Bill 3751 provides that noncitizens can become law enforcement officers in Illinois if they’re authorized by federal law to work in the country or if action on their immigration status has been deferred under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals process.

Those individuals must meet all other state qualifications for being in law enforcement and must be authorized to possess a firearm under federal law.

The measure passed 37-20 in the Senate and 100-7 in the House.

License plate readers: Another measure backed by Giannoulias would prohibit any “user” of an automated license plate reader from

sharing data collected by the device with out-of-state law enforcement officers who are investigating activities related to abortion care or someone’s immigration status.

Prior to sharing any data, an ALPR user—which includes law-enforcement agencies and other entities if they share the data with law enforcement—would first need a written declaration that the law enforcement agency would not use the data contrary to the bill’s language. If no such declaration exists, the user would be prohibited from sharing the data.

House Bill 3326 passed 39-15 in the Senate and 69-34 in the House.

Native American repatriation: House Bill 3413 would streamline the process through which Illinois returns Native American remains and materials to their communities. In part, it would create a procedure in which the Illinois Department of Natural Resources would consult with affiliated tribal nations when returning remains.

The measure was spurred by reporting from ProPublica which showed the Illinois State Museum has the second-largest collection of unrepatriated Native American remains in the U.S. As of 2022, the state museum had only returned 2 percent of the 7,700 remains it reported to the U.S. government.

HB 3413 allows IDNR to establish burial sites for Native American human remains and other artifacts that are closed to the public and protected by the state.

Additionally, it creates a fund in the state treasury that would be paid into by violators of the act and subject to appropriation to cover costs including reinterment, repatriation, repair or restoration of human remains.

It passed both houses unanimously. One lawmaker voted “present” in the House.

Probation drug testing : Senate Bill 1886 would limit the circumstances under which a judge could order a person to refrain from cannabis and alcohol use and submit to testing while on probation. A judge could still mandate testing if the person is under 21 or was sentenced for an offense that included use of an “intoxicating compound.”

Testing could also still be required if the person is in problem-solving court or if the person has undergone a clinical assessment that includes alcohol or cannabis testing. Courts could also still require a person to abstain from cannabis and alcohol for 30 days between sentencing and the person’s participation in a clinical assessment.

The measure would also prohibit a court from banning cannabis use if it is prescribed by a medical pro-

fessional and from assessing fees for mandatory drug or alcohol testing if the person is indigent as defined in state law.

It passed 75-40 in the House and 31-18 in the Senate.

Child influencers: Senate Bill 1782 aims to protect “child influencers” who are under the age of 16 and featured in at least 30 percent of money-making internet videos, or vlogs, published by a family member in a 30-day period.

Vloggers who feature children under the age of 16 would be required to keep records of the children’s inclusion in vlogs, proof of age and other documents. If they don’t, the child would have a right to sue in civil court.

If the vlog reaches a platform’s money-making threshold or generates at least 10 cents per view, the vlogger would be required to put a percentage of earnings into a trust fund for the child that is equal to half of the percentage of content that features the child. Percentages differ if multiple children are featured.

It passed the House 98-17 and the Senate 57-0.

Hotel worker protections : House Bill 2220 would give hotel managers greater authority to remove disruptive visitors from their premises. That includes individuals who refuse to pay, threaten employees, violate laws or posted hotel rules, or use “verbally abusive language.”

The hotel industry pushed for the changes, which also state the removed guest must be refunded for unused portions of their stay. It also states the language can’t be used to evict long-term residents or if the area is under a severe weather warning. It also may not be used to discriminate against a guest based on characteristics protected under federal, state or local law.

Hotel managers would be allowed to refuse accommodation to anyone who destroys or threatens to destroy hotel property or who is on the premises for the purpose of providing alcohol to an underage person or possessing a controlled substance.

It passed 108-3 in the House and 51-2 in the Senate.

Full-day kindergarten : House Bill 2396 would require Illinois elementary and unit public school districts to offer full-day kindergarten by the 2027-2028 school year. After that time, offering half-day kindergarten would be optional. Some districts would be able to apply for a two-year waiver based on their level of state funding.

The measure would also create a task force to study the number of districts offering kindergarten, the number of students enrolled and

several other factors. The task force is to be named by October, with an interim report due to lawmakers by June 30, 2024, and a final report by Jan. 31, 2025.

It passed 52-1 in the Senate and 85-24 in the House.

New state flag commission: Senate Bill 1818—numbered for the year Illinois entered the union—would create a commission to consider new state flag designs and make recommendations to the General Assembly as to whether the current flag should be replaced.

Members would be appointed by the governor and legislative leaders of both parties, as well as the secretary of state, the state board of education and the state museum. They would be unpaid other than a per diem reimbursement.

The commission would set “guiding principles” for a new flag, raise awareness for the effort and create a submission process for new designs. By Sept. 1, 2024, they would select 10 of those designs, and by Dec. 3, 2024, they would report to lawmakers with their recommendations.

It passed 39-16 in the Senate and 72-40 in the House.

Teacher licensure: Senate Bill 1488 will temporarily suspend and create a task force to review one of the tests prospective teachers must pass to be licensed in Illinois. The test is known as the Teacher Performance Assessment, or “edTPA,” which would be suspended through Aug. 31, 2025, under the measure.

The edTPA is a perfor-

mance-based assessment that requires applicants to submit a portfolio including lesson plans and tests they’ve administered while student teaching, along with examples of student work and other material. The portfolios are scored by outside teachers and teacher educators. It has been a requirement in Illinois since 2015 but was temporarily stalled by Pritzker’s executive orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic, which expired May 11.

SB 1488 would also establish a task force to evaluate teacher performance assessment systems and make recommendations to the State Board of Education and the General Assembly by Aug. 1, 2024.

It passed the House 84-19 and the Senate 55-2.

School district cash reserves: Senate Bill 1994, which passed both chambers unanimously, would require school districts to report their annual cash reserves and average three-year operating expenditures to the state. When reserves exceed 2.5 times the average threeyear expenditures, the school district would be required to file a plan to the state board detailing how they plan to spend reserves down to 2.5 times their average expenditures or less.

Districts would not be required to spend reserves, but only to submit the plan detailing how they intend to do so over three years.

Editor’s note: Capitol News Illinois reporters Peter Hancock and Nika Schoonover contributed to this report.

The Chicagoland Children’s Health Alliance (CCHA) announced recently that Edward-Elmhurst Health (EEH) has joined its pediatric healthcare enterprise.

As a result, all of the pediatric services of NorthShore–Edward-Elmhurst Health are now part of CCHA.

Its participation means EEH will expand its own pediatric subspecialty care, as well as provide families in the western suburbs ease of access to a comprehensive array of services across the wider CCHA network.

CCHA is a collaborative between Advocate Children’s Hospital, NorthShore University HealthSystem and University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital.

“Edward-Elmhurst Health is proud to partner with the leading healthcare organizations across the alliance and provide children and families in our service area with access to unrivaled pediatric care close to home,” said Joseph Dant, president, South Region, NorthShore–Edward-Elmhurst Health.

CCHA represents one of Illinois’ largest and most integrated networks of pediatric primary and specialty care.

Well-established pediatric primary care practices in diverse and convenient locations across Chicagoland and Indiana enhance referrals to a deep bench of specialty and complex care.

“When CCHA was formed three years ago, our goal was to collabo-

rate, strategize and innovate for the benefit of our patients,” said Mike Farrell, president, Chicagoland Children’s Health Alliance. “This new alliance expands CCHA’s overall geographic reach and now ensures children, teens and families in the Naperville and Elmhurst communities have seamless access to our comprehensive specialty network and most advanced research and treatments.”

With the addition of Edward-Elmhurst Health, CCHA and its members, in total, have:

• The ability to provide care to 1.8 million children in the Chicago area

• Multiple hospital campuses with more than 800 pediatric inpatient beds, more than 1,100 employed primary care/subspecialists/mater-

Health Alliance

nal fetal medicine physicians and more than 110 locations to access care

• Eight Level III NICUs, one pediatric cardiac ICU, four pediatric ICUs and four pediatric emergency departments,

• Pediatric transport for patients transferred to CCHA-affiliated hospital campuses for subspecialty care

• The addition of adolescent programming through Linden Oaks Behavioral Health.

Benefits of the Alliance include EEH’s ability to enhance pediatric subspecialties and provide ease of access to others across the CCHA network, including allergy and immunology, anesthesiology, cardiology, critical care, dentistry, dermatology, emergency medicine, endo-

crinology, gastroenterology, genetics, hematology-oncology, infectious disease, neonatology, nephrology, neurology, neurosurgery, ophthalmology and retina, orthopedics, otolaryngology (ear/nose/throat), surgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, plastic surgery, pulmonology, rheumatology, sleep medicine, sports medicine and urology.

From its inception, the goal of CCHA has been to provide outstanding pediatric care, close to home, for patients and families across Chicagoland and the region. The network provides ease of access across a vast continuum of pediatric services, from primary care to the most complex treatment and research.

County forest preserve district summer activities now open

Several popular outdoor activities are returning to the DuPage forest preserves.

Nature enthusiasts can spend a night under the stars at the Forest Preserve District’s 64-site Blackwell Family Campground, which will operate Friday and Saturday nights with added nights around the holidays. Campers can purchase permits online using a desktop computer (mobile phones do not work) 24/7 up to a year in advance but must make reservations at least three business days in advance.

For additional nights around the holidays, campers should call or stop by the district’s Visitor Ser-

vices office from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at 630-9337248 or 3S580 Naperville Road in Wheaton.

The campground has wooded and semiwooded sites for tents, trailers, and motor homes. Each has electricity and a gravel parking pad, fire ring, and picnic table. Sites are $20 per night for DuPage residents or $30 per night for nonresidents in advance through Visitor Services. Same-day reservations at the campground office are $30 per site.

Sites can hold up to eight people, two tents, and one vehicle. The campground has restrooms, showers, and hand water pumps. It also

has a water-fill station and a dump station for RVs. Outside firewood is not allowed; firewood is $7 per bundle. Campers can dispose of their empty 16-ounce propane tanks at the campground thanks to a collaborative program with DuPage County.

Outdoor aficionados can also get a bird’s-eye view of DuPage County and the Chicago skyline from 190 feet above the ground at the scenic overlook at Greene Valley in Naperville, which will be open weather permitting Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. now through Oct. 29. (The overlook may be closed without notice due

to Illinois Environmental Protection Agency maintenance and construction activities.) Admission to the hill is free, and visitors can park at the summit and are encouraged to bring spotting scopes or binoculars for views of migrating birds.

Visitors with valid District permits can also launch nonpowered model gliders and sailplanes from a designated area of the overlook.

For more down-to-earth exploration, hikers and bikers can use the 1.9-mile Hawk Trail, which circles the hill’s base and is open only during scenic overlook hours.

What’s more, adventure seekers can check out Blackwell in Warren-

ville from the water by renting canoes, kayaks, rowboats, or paddleboats from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and now through Sept. 30 and weekdays through Labor Day. Weekend rentals also have begun at Herrick Lake in Wheaton. At both locations rowboats and single kayaks are $15 per hour, and canoes and two-person kayaks are $18 per hour. Paddleboats at Blackwell are $20 per hour. Rentals end at 5 p.m. For information, call 630-9337200 or visit dupageforest.org, where you can also link to the district’s e-newsletter and Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok pages.

What men should know about PSA screening

Screening tests are important because they can detect potential diseases or health disorders in people without any sign of disease. But what if a screening test does more harm than good?

That’s been the debate about the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. The PSA test is a blood test primarily used to screen for prostate cancer. Doctors use the test to determine whether a man has elevated levels of PSA in his blood. High levels of PSA may indicate the presence of prostate cancer.

The PSA test was originally approved by the Federal Drug Administration in 1986 to monitor the progression of prostate cancer in men who had already been diagnosed with the disease.

Until 2008, some doctors encouraged yearly PSA screenings for men beginning at age 50. Men at high risk of prostate cancer were recommended to have a PSA test even earlier.

So, what’s the big deal about a PSA test?

As researchers learn more about the potential benefits and harms of prostate cancer testing (and the consequences of overdiagnosing), many organizations have begun to discourage the screening, saying it does more harm than good.

Here’s why:

Prostate cancer is not an aggressive type of cancer and most men diagnosed with it have a slow-growing form that isn’t fatal, even if left untreated. Many men with localized prostate cancer will never have problems. At the same time, prostate cancer treatment can have long-term and life-altering side effects.

Here’s where it gets confusing: A PSA test can detect prostate cancer early, but it may not save lives. It can also give false-positives or false-negatives, causing some men to have additional unnecessary invasive procedures and treatment that can result in urinary and sexual side effects.

To make matters more complicated:

If a man has high levels of PSA in his blood, it doesn’t mean he has prostate cancer. Other conditions can elevate PSA level, such as prostatitis. Also, there is no specific normal or abnormal levels of PSA in a man’s blood since PSA levels can vary over time in the same man.

That said, prostate cancer screenings can help identify cancer early. An abnormal PSA test and digital rectal exam, combined with further tests (e.g., prostate biopsy, transrectal ultrasound), can help determine whether someone has prostate cancer.

What are the new recommendations?

The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommends the decision to have a PSA test be determined between a man and his doctor, and doctors should only order

the PSA test for older men between the ages of 55 to 69 after discussing its pros and cons.

Since prostate cancer does not have many signs and symptoms, especially in the early stages, it is important for men to have open

discussions with their doctors. All prostate cancers are not the same, and testing for prostate cancer is often determined by individual risk factors.

Learn more at EEHealth.org/services/cancer.

Cathy Richardson enthralls fans at gazebo

Cathy Richardson opened up the Music at the Gazebo series of concerts this year with her performance on Thursday, June 8, drawing a huge crowd at Wild Meadows Trace on Spring Road. People were seated past the Prairie Path with their chairs on the grassy area just before the parking lot because it was so crowded. Richardson did some Melissa Etheridge songs in honor of Pride month. She also did a popular Stevie Nicks song from her Fleetwood Mac album called Dreams, which was a big hit.

BRENDA GARCIA PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

Puzzle page

BASKET BEACH

BOARDWALK

BREEZY

BRIGHT

COASTAL

CRASHING

FOAM

LAUGHTER

MARINE

OCEAN

RELAXATION

RIPTIDE

SAIL

SANDCASTLE

SANDY

SEAWEED

SUNGLASSES

SURFING

SWIMMING

SWIMSUIT

TAN

UMBRELLA

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. In a place to sleep

5. Chemical compound (abbr.)

8. A way to fish

11. Classic Linklater film “__ and Confused”

13. Legume

14. Indonesian island

15. Smooth, creamy substance

16. Arctic

17. Wood sorrels

18. Defied

20. Cattle

21. Tableland

22. Honorably retired and retaining one’s title

25. Repossession

30. Danced

31. Adult males

32. A type of section

33. Type of Japanese animation

38. Satisfaction

41. Fit

43. “Ain’t No Sunshine” singer

45. Failure

47. Israeli city

49. French river

50. Cavalry-sword

55. Nocturnal S. American rodent

56. Liquefied natural gas

57. Afflicted

59. Electronic countercountermeasures

60. Popular HBO fantasy series (abbr.)

61. Spiritual leader of a Jewish congregation

62. Large body of water

63. __kosh, near Lake Winnebago

64. Impudence

CLUES DOWN

1. Payroll firm

2. Unit of transmission

3. Rockers Better Than __

4. Bambi is one

5. Highest parts of something

6. Correct behavior

7. Batty

8. Cyprinid fishes

9. Expression of sorrow or pity

10. Site of the famous Leaning

Tower

12. American rocker Snider

14. W. African language

19. Symbol to mark for removal

23. __ Squad

24. Resident

25. Federal savings bank

26. Paddle

27. Returned material authorization (abbr.)

28. One point south of due east

29. Winter melon

34. Last or greatest in an indefinitely large series

35. Anger

36. Central European river

37. First responders

39. Spanish noble

40. Persons with absence of skin pigment

41. Defunct airline

42. Small island (British)

44. The extent of something from beginning to end

45. Capital of Bangladesh

46. Dutch cheese

47. Imitates

48. A contest of speed

51. Swiss river

52. Prejudice

53. Actor Idris

54. UNLV’s are Runnin’

58. Criticize

Windows

This

lication does not knowingly accept fraudulent or deceptive advertising. Readers are cautioned to thoroughly investigate all ads, especially those asking for money in advance.

Burial Needs

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.

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Pritzker puts final stamp on $50.4 billion state spending plan

By Andrew Adams and Jerry Nowicki

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

Gov. JB Pritzker signed the state’s operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year last week, marking the first spending plan of his second term as governor.

The $50.4 billion spending plan anticipates about $50.6 billion in revenues for the fiscal year that begins July 1, making for a projected surplus of roughly $183 million, according to the governor’s office. That revenue estimate would be slightly below or roughly equal to what’s collected in tax revenues for the current year, depending on June’s final revenue collections.

The bill signing’s venue, typically chosen to highlight an important aspect of the budget, was the Belmont Cragin campus of Christopher House in Chicago, a charter school that mostly serves low-income Hispanic families.

The signing was attended by a who’s who of state Democrats, with the governor, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, and various members of the legislature’s Democratic leadership and budget negotiation teams.

LEGAL NOTICES

NOTICE

CERTIFICATE NO. 79094 was filed in the office of the County Clerk of DuPage County on MAY 16, 2023, wherein the business firm of KEY STEPS CHILDREN’S THERAPY, 53 E. PARK BLVD., VILLA PARK, IL 60181, 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:

Rebecca Williams, 35 W. Jackson St., Villa Park, IL 60181.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and Official Seal at my office in Wheaton, Illinois, this 16TH day of MAY, A.D. 2023.

Jean Kaczmarek

DuPage County Clerk

(Published in the Addison Independent, Bensenville Independent & Villa Park Review June 1, 8 & 15, 2023) 438643

NOTICE

CERTIFICATE NO. 79112 was filed in the office of the County Clerk of DuPage County on JUNE 5, 2023 wherein the business firm of MARQUEZ JANITORIAL SERVICES, 441 W. PARK AVENUE, ADDISON, IL 60101, 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:

Maria D DeCasas, 441 W. Park Avenue, Addison, IL 60101.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and Official Seal at my office in Wheaton, Illinois, this 5TH day of JUNE, A.D. 2023.

Jean Kaczmarek

DuPage County Clerk

(Published in the Addison Independent, Bensenville Independent & Villa Park Review June 15, 22 & 29, 2023) 439200

Several of them highlighted the budget’s investments in education.

“Birth-to-five services and kindergarten readiness are the foundation for the rest of our children’s educational experiences,” Pritzker said.

‘Smart Start Illinois’

The budget includes funding to launch Pritzker’s “Smart Start Illinois” early childhood education program. Earlier this year, he toured the state to promote the increased spending on pre-K and kindergarten, which includes $130 million to fund a new system of contracts for early childhood workers and upping state funding for early childhood block grants by $75 million. “Smart Start” also includes added funding for early intervention and home visiting programming.

The budget also increases state dollars going to the K-12 funding formula by $350 million—the amount called for annually in state law—and puts $45 million toward a three-year pilot program to fill teacher vacancies and provide scholarships to future teachers. It’s less than the $70 million for that program that Pritzker included in his February budget proposal.

Higher education, a long-time budget priority of Pritzker’s, will also see increased funding. These include a $100 million funding increase to the state’s Monetary Award Program, which provides need-based scholarships. It marks a 75 percent increase in funding for MAP grants since 2019. The budget also includes a $15 million increase to the AIM HIGH merit-based scholarship pro-

Answers

gram and a $3.8 million increase to the Minority Teacher Scholarship program.

Despite praising Republican involvement in budget negotiations throughout the legislative session, Senate Minority Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, criticized the overall budget in a statement while noting it included some common ground between the two parties.

“We negotiated in good faith, and as a result, there are some joint priorities in this budget, specifically to support the developmentally disabled and invest in education,” Curran said.

No Republican support

No Republicans in either chamber voted for the plan.

In the House, debate was more tense. Republican budget negotiator Norine Hammond, of Macomb, said the GOP was essentially cut out from the budget process by House Democrats. She had previously noted Republicans participated in more frequent budget talks with the governor’s staff.

“Another budget filled with broken promises, accounting gimmicks, and a lack of structural reforms to address the systemic outmigration of Illinois families,” House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, said in a statement.

McCombie also contradicted Curran’s read of the budget and said that it “shortchanges” the direct service professionals, or DSPs, that serve disabled people in community settings.

A state-commissioned 2020 study

of the industry recommended increasing DSP wages to 150 percent of the state’s minimum wage, which is currently $13 per hour and is set to increase to $14 in January.

The budget includes provisions increasing DSP wage base rates by $2.50 per hour, to $19.50, beginning in January. That would still fall short of the $4 per hour needed to meet the study’s recommendation as of next year. Still, it marks a $1 increase beyond what Pritzker had proposed in February.

Home workers who assist the elderly are also slated to receive a rate increase of $24 million.

The budget also includes $75 million for the Department of Children and Family Services. Pritzker’s office said this is expected to pay for 192 staff positions, expanded training, facility improvements and scholarships to children in DCFS care.

Services aimed at preventing homelessness are set to receive an increase of $85 million through the Home Illinois program, a multi-agency initiative that will provide housing and services to homeless people.

The more than $350 million in funding includes $118 million for shelter and transitional housing services, $50 million for rapid rehousing services, $40 million in capital funds for permanent supportive housing units and $37 million in funds to build new shelter units.

While Republicans have been critical of the budget, the House’s lead budget negotiator, Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, said compromise was an essential part of the process.

“The budget is a reflection of our priorities,” she said. “It’s a reflection of everybody getting wins, but nobody got everything.”

Earlier last week, Pritzker noted the budget would exempt businesses from the first $5,000 in liability under the corporate franchise tax, up from $1,000. He called it a $50 million tax cut that addressed at least one Republican budget priority. Pritzker and leaders in the General Assembly negotiated a phaseout of that tax in his only bipartisan budget passed in 2019, but Democrats ultimately reversed that action in a future budget year.

Invest in Kids scholarship program allowed to expire

During debate last month, Republicans in both chambers were also sharply critical of the budget because it allowed for the expiration of the $75 million Invest in Kids scholarship program for private school students. The program initially passed as part of a bipartisan agreement in 2017 with support from the schoolchoice movement and Republican lawmakers.

When asked, Pritzker said the conversation around funding that program is “ongoing,” and “there’s

time still for that program to be considered,” potentially in the fall veto session, before its Jan. 1, 2024, expiration.

Democrats on Wednesday also alluded on several occasions to a two-year budget stalemate between Republican then-Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats in the legislature that lasted from July 2015 into August 2017. During that time, the state did not approve a full budget, causing havoc in education and the social services industry, both of which rely heavily on state funding.

“It’s no longer about how to keep the doors open and scrape by,” Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton said of the budget process.

At the bill signing, Pritzker also addressed a state-funded health care program for noncitizens, which his administration at one time projected would cost over $1 billion in the upcoming fiscal year.

The program offers Medicaid-style benefits to noncitizens age 42 and older who would otherwise be eligible for Medicaid if not for their legal residency status. It was launched in 2021 and expanded twice to its current size. Because the individuals enrolled in the program are not eligible for standard Medicaid, which is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, Illinois covers its entire cost.

A separate Medicaid-related bill, which Pritzker has not yet signed, will give him authority to rein in costs through the creation of administrative rules. His office has said options include limiting future enrollment, requiring copays from program participants, maximizing federal reimbursement and possibly moving participants to the Medicaid managed care system.

Pritzker noted that the program does not apply to asylum seekers, who are eligible for other federally funded benefits. He also said it is ultimately cheaper to provide preventative care to noncitizens rather than making them rely on emergency room visits to treat conditions that have gone undiagnosed and untreated due to a lack of health care benefits.

Pritzker’s February budget proposal accounted for about $220 million in costs for the program, and the final budget did not include a measure sought by the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus that would have expanded it to noncitizens aged 19 and over.

Those 18 years and younger are already covered under the Illinois AllKids program.

“We realized that if we could manage it properly, we could manage the program with the number of people that are in it now to about $550 million,” Pritzker said.

Under law, lawmakers do not need to accept the reduction, so the budget can take effect without issue.

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