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The Village of Bensenville held its annual Holiday Magic Tree Lighting Ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 20 to kick off the holiday season downtown. The tree was lit by President Frank DeSimone and mem bers of the Village Board of Trustees.

Bensenville kicks off holiday with annual tree-lighting ceremony

On Sunday, Nov. 20, the Village held its annual Holiday Magic Tree Lighting Ceremony in downtown Bensenville to kick off the holiday season.

The event included a holiday car parade, visits with Santa, miniature train rides, horse-drawn sleigh rides, sweet treats, and a ceremonial tree lighting. Guests received free cook ies, hot chocolate, popcorn, and com memorative Bensenville ornaments sponsored by Victory Auto Wreckers.

Donations of coats, food, and toys were also collected to benefit Bensen ville families in need.

“This event is a great way to wel come the holiday season here in Bensenville,” said Village President Frank DeSimone. “Thank you to all those who braved the cold weather to celebrate with us and for your contin ued support towards this community.”

Grand Subaru and ComEd served as event sponsors while Victory Auto Wreckers helped offset the costs of

the Village’s commemorative orna ment.

“Thank you to the Village of Bensenville for putting together such a great event. Grand Subaru is always proud to sponsor celebrations in our community,” said Grand Subaru’s general manager Ryan Drouin. “We had a wonderful time sharing the ex perience with our team and their fam ilies - seeing the lights and enjoying each other’s company is what this season is all about.”

SUBMITTED PHOTO Bensenville Independent

District 88 welcomes visitors from Germany GAPP exchange promotes intercultural dialogue

From Oct. 16 to 30, District 88 hosted 22 students and two staff members from Helmholtzschule in Frankfurt, Germany, as part of the German American Partnership Program (GAPP) student exchange. GAPP’s purpose is to provide information about cultural, social and political life in Germany by encouraging intercultural dialogue and enabling cultural in volvement. This was District 88’s second time participating in the program.

During their time here, the group visited Addison Trail and Willowbrook, where they toured the buildings and viewed extracurricu

lar activities. They also spent time in Chicago, visiting several landmarks.

“The purpose is to build a relationship be tween students of two countries and keep that relationship even after high school,” said Nilay Woodbury, District 88 world language teacher.

“One of District 88’s greatest strengths is the rich diversity among its students and staff. The district has about 50 languages and more than 30 countries represented among its families, and almost half of the nearly 4,000 students in the district speak a language other than English at home.

“District 88 continuously provides opportu nities for students to experience other cultures, and through the GAPP, pupils from Addison Trail and Willowbrook will visit Germany in

June 2023. Whether it’s traveling to Europe or hosting guests from abroad, those interactions teach students life lessons and help them de velop a global mindset.”

County approves FY2023 budget

The DuPage County Board on Tuesday unanimously approved its Fiscal Year 2023 budget, which includes a balanced, $584.1 million spending plan and a reduction in property taxes for homeowners.

Due to conservative financial planning, DuPage County is projected to finish the 2022 Fiscal Year with a surplus of $40 million. Among the ways the County will utilize those funds include:

• $3 million for major renovations at the DuPage Care Center;

• $2 million for transportation infrastructure, including roadway improvements and enhanced pedestrian and bicycle pathways;

• $6 million to replace the County’s existing financial system which will soon reach end of life;

• $3.25 million to replace aging vehicles;

• $250,000 for the DuPage Neighborhood Revitalization Program;

• $393,800 for solar panels to provide clean energy for part of the County campus;

• $398,680 for a stormwater improvement project at Winfield Creek.

“During our financial planning process, my intention is always to create a budget that sets a strong foundation for the future,” Cronin said. “As I prepare to leave the office of County Board Chairman, I am confident this budget will provide a foundation for success for the next generation of County leaders.”

The total proposed budget for DuPage County is $584.1 million, with a General Fund budget of $234.6 million. The General Fund is the County’s chief operating fund covering most personnel and program operations.

The proposed budget includes a $69.9 million property tax levy and a property tax abatement of $5 million, which will be automatically deducted from homeowners’ property tax bills in 2023. Residents do not need to take any action to realize the savings.

The 2023 Fiscal Year begins on Dec. 1. DuPage County is AAA bond rated. The County’s latest reported unemployment rate was 3.3 percent for the month of September.

To view the full FY2023 County budget document, visit dupagecounty.gov/finance.

Pictured here with District 88 students and staff are students and staff members from Helmholtzschule in Frankfurt, Germany, who visited District 88 in October through

the German American Partnership Program (GAPP) student exchange. As part of the GAPP, Addison Trail and Willowbrook students will visit Germany in June of 2023.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

Police reports

Area police departments recently reported the following arrests and citations. Readers are reminded that an arrest does not constitute a con viction, and that suspects are consid ered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Persons charged with domestic battery are not named in order to pro tect the privacy of victims.

Juveniles age 17 or younger are not named.

Addison

Editor’s note: There was no report submitted by the Addison Police De partment last week.

Villa Park Nov. 19

Jacqueline Floro, 30, of Schaum burg, was charged with DUI, driv ing too fast for conditions and no insurance near N. Route 83 and W. North at 1:34 a.m.

A 29-year-old Villa Park man was charged with two counts of domes tic battery in the 400 block of N. 3rd at 2:51 a.m.

Nov. 18

George Ilibasic, 42, of Addison, was charged with possession of a

controlled substance, obstructing justice/tampering with evidence/ false information, DUI—combi nation of alcohol, drugs or intox ication compound, driving while license revoked, driving a vehicle on a sidewalk and no insurance in the 400 block of N. Ardmore at 7:55 p.m.

Theft of a vehicle was reported in the 1000 block of N. Villa at 6 p.m. A complainant reported unknown suspect removed a vehicle that was parked in a parking lot.

Nov. 17

Police said Antwan Broughton, 19, of Chicago, was arrested on a failure to appear warrant out of DuPage County near N. Villa and E. North at 12:27 a.m. Broughton also was issued citations for driving while license revoked and operating a vehicle with a cancelled, suspend ed or revoked Illinois registration.

Nov. 16

Police said Danielle M. Parks, 52, of Hanover Park, was arrested on an original complaint and warrant on the above date and was charged with battery that causes bodily harm that allegedly occurred Aug. 21.

Nov. 15

Joseph C. De Matteis, 49, of Villa Park, was charged with DUI, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and disobeying a stop sign near N. Addison and W. Vermont at 8:38 p.m.

Michael Nimoch, 53, of Bell wood, was arrested on an original complaint and warrant in the 900 block of S. Route 83 at 2:27 a.m. for an alleged incident that occurred Oct. 25.

Alexander Sotiropoulos, 49, of Homer Glen, was charged with re tail theft/possessing displayed mer chandise exceeding $300, resisting or obstructing a police officer and unlawful possession of drug par aphernalia at a store in the 1-100 block of E. North at 4:36 p.m.

Nov. 14

Theft by deception was reported at a bank in the 100 block of E. Roo sevelt at 9:54 a.m. A complainant reported they attempted to help a family in need and received what was purported to be real gold. Lat er it was determined to be costume jewelry.

A complainant in the 1600 block of S. Michigan reported at 5:33 p.m.

that an unknown subject is sending them threatening text messages.

Nov. 13

A complainant in the 1600 block of S. Michigan reported at 12:39 p.m. that an unknown suspect broke the passenger side window of a ve hicle parked in the parking lot.

A complainant in the 400 block of W. Division reported at 5:13 p.m. that a subject threatened them via phone.

Fraud, identity theft

According to information provid ed last week by the Villa Park Police Department, police reported four in cidents of residents being a victim of fraud or identity theft.

Catalytic converter theft

According to information pro vided last week by the Villa Park Police Department, police reported one incident of a catalytic converter being removed from vehicles at the following location: the 900 block of W. North at 5:07 p.m. Nov. 14.

Bensenville

The Bensenville Police Depart ment recently reported the following

arrests and citations. Persons who are charged with domestic battery are not named in order to protect the vic tim’s privacy. Readers are remind ed 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.

Nov. 21, 2:48 p.m. in the 100 block of W. Grand Ave., a complainant re ported fraud at their business from a known customer. This case is under investigation. BEPC2201036

Nov. 21, 12:05 a.m. near Irving Park and York Roads, Alvardo D. Gomez-Martinez, 33, of Bensenville, was arrested for driving under the in fluence-alcohol and no valid driver’s license. BEPC2201033

Nov. 20,10:50 p.m. near Foster Av enue and N. Route 83, Ernesto I. Var gas, 36, of Chicago, was arrested for aggravated unlawful use of a weap on, possess controlled substance, ob structing justice, driving while under the influence-alcohol and other traf fic violations. BEPC2201032

Nov. 18, 9:05 p.m. in the 1000 block of S. York Road, a complainant reported a domestic incident with a known suspect. This case is under in vestigation. BEPC2201027

Additional bond conditions for Naperville man held for possession of child pornography

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Naperville Chief of Police Jason Arres announced that additional conditions of bond have been granted for a former Naperville School District 203 paraprofessional charged with possessing child por nography.

On Nov. 15, Judge Jeffrey MacKay issued a $250,000 with 10 per cent to apply arrest warrant for Jef frey Wickman, 33, of Naperville.

Elmhurst University to hosts Festival of Lessons

and Carols on Dec. 2

The Elmhurst University Festival of Lessons and Carols draws together the campus and community to wel come a joyful and spiritual season.

This year’s celebration of the tra dition will take place on Friday, Dec. 2, in Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel on the campus of Elmhurst University. The University will offer two Lessons and Carols services, at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., to accommodate the popularity of the event. Doors will open half an hour before each start time. The event is free and all are welcome.

For those who cannot attend in person, the 7:00 p.m. service will be livestreamed at elmhurst.edu/blue jaytv.

The Festival of Lessons and Carols is an Elmhurst University tradition that bridges the season of Advent and Christmastide. Held since 1961, the Festival consists of nine Scriptural readings that tell the story of the birth of the Messiah, interspersed with choral music. The Elmhurst Univer sity choirs will perform time-hon ored songs to accompany each read ing and set the holiday mood.

For more information, email mar keting@elmhurst.edu.

Three days later, Wickman turned himself in at the Naperville Police Department and was released after posting 10 percent or $25,000, of the warrant.

Wickman has been charged with four counts of felony possession of child pornog raphy. Judge John Kinsella granted the state’s motion for additional con ditions of bond which includes: no contact with any minor under the age of eighteen; refrain from entering any Naperville School District 203 build ings or grounds; stay 1,000 feet away from any school or park; have soft ware installed on his electronic devic es to monitor his online activities; not consume any controlled substances, including cannabis and submit to test

ing; and not possess any firearms, fire arm ammunition, firearm parts, FOID or conceal carry card.

Through the course of their con tinuing efforts into combating child pornography, investigators from the Naperville Police Department re ceived a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding an IP address pos sibly engaging in child pornography.

one of these disgusting images rep resenting yet another victim,” Berlin said. “The charges filed against Mr. Wickman sends the message that law enforcement in DuPage County will aggressively and proactively pursue child pornographers wherever they may lurk.

charges are in no way connected with Mr. Wickman’s association with Na perville School District 203. Author ities at the school have been exceed ingly cooperative and for that I thank them.”

Wickman’s next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 8, 2023, for ar raignment in front of Judge Kinsella. Jeffrey Wickman

Based upon this information and following the execution of a search warrant, it is alleged that a search of Wickman’s Google Drive account yielded child pornography. It is fur ther alleged that following a search warrant executed at Wickman’s home on Tuesday, Nov. 1, authorities found cached images of child pornography on Wickman’s electronic devices.

“Child pornography is vile, abusive to thousands of young children and is not a victimless crime with each

“I want to stress however, that these

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Fenton superintendent issues Thanksgiving message

Fenton Community High School superintendent James Ongtengco re leased the following message to the Fenton community:

“In this season of Thanksgiving, I want to express my sincere gratitude for all of those in our Fenton District 100 who make our school a truly special place.

“First, thank you to our Fenton families for working alongside our school these last few years. Togeth er we have worked to make the best of it and provide our students with meaningful and engaging learning experiences.

“Thank you to our teachers. You are at the forefront of our rigor, rel evance, and relationship mission. Thank you for loving and supporting our students and their families.

“Thank you to our school counsel ors, social workers, psychologists, and related service providers for focusing on supporting the whole student and especially the social and emotional health of our students.

“Thank you to our school nurs es and health services staff. Your work has always been an important component of our organization but never more than during a once-in-alifetime pandemic. Our nurses have been leading our health and safe ty planning, and their guidance has been critical in keeping all of us safe.

“Thank you to our school admin istrators and leadership teams. Your leadership and guidance drive the work of our schools and the connec tions with our students and families. And thank you to the district admin istrators who support the work of our building leaders.

“Thank you to our teachers as sistants for supporting the work of our teachers and schools and ensur ing we meet the needs of all in our school communities.

and dedication to our communities.

“Thank you to all of our communi ty partners and civic leaders for your continued support of our students, families, and staff. Our partnerships are important and reflective of our community.

“Thank you to all of our alumni for being outstanding ambassadors of Fenton High School, and for re turning home to inspire our current students by showing them what is possible.

“No matter your role in our dis

trict, please know that you are valued and appreciated. Happy Thanksgiv ing to the entire Fenton community!” Go Bison!

Representing the Village

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“Thank you to our custodians, maintenance workers, and buildings and grounds crew for continually keeping our building in good condi tion.

“Thank you to our food services staff for keeping our children fed each day.

“Thank you to our bus drivers and transportation staff who are the first and last Fenton adults to greet and say ‘have an awesome rest of the day’ to our students.

“Thank you to our security staff for keeping our campus safe and orderly. Thank you to our administrative as sistants for keeping our schools and departments running smoothly and greeting students and staff with a smile and compassion.

“Thank you to our district ad ministrative assistants who provide valuable year-round, district-wide support to our school, departments, and staff.

“Thank you to our athletic coaches and activity sponsors for your work with our students this fall. Not only are you there to mentor and coach our students, but also there to pro vide lifelong lessons to our rising stars.

“Thank you to our substitute teach ers for stepping in to fill roles that are necessary to keep our schools and district running.

“Thank you to our Board of Edu cation members for their leadership

Fenton holds Burger Battle at Green Street Grille

Three student-created burgers were on the menu at Green Street Grille in Bensenville for a good old fashion Burger Battle.

Three business classes each devel oped a burger, including the pricing of ingredients, creative naming and product marketing. The groups did multiple school-wide surveys in or der to get information on what the average consumer would prefer, then each created a prototype of a burger.

Flyers were all over the school, yard signs were placed throughout town, and marketing teams even made a pitch to the Fenton School Board on Wednesday, Nov. 16, while on their way to persuade attendees at the basketball game.

After three days, the winning burger was “The Real Bun Burger,” which had a chicken breast replacing the “boring beef” patty. Green Street Grille reported more than 35 sales in the first hour on Thursday, Nov. 17.

Thank you to Green Street Grille and to Fenton’s business teachers Luis Garcia and Rich Weiss, who made the project come to fruition.

These three burgers created by Fenton business students were on the menu at Green Street Grille in Bensenville for a good old fashion Burger Battle on Thursday, Nov. 17. The winner (pictured lower right) was “The Real Bun Burger,” which used a chicken breast rather than beef. Green Street Grille reported selling more than 35 of the winning burgers in the first hour of business.

Administration: Dee Longfellow News Coordinator

Debra Hamilton Advertising Director

Pete Cruger Publisher

Brenda Garcia

SUBMITTED PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

Christmas tree now shines bright in downtown Bensenville on Sunday, Nov.

after it was lit by President DeSimone and members of the Village Board. Pictured are (from left): McLane “Mac” Lomax, Armando Perez, Ann Franz, President DeSimone, and Marie Frey.

Superintendent James Ongtengco

SUBMITTED PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

Poised for another term as speaker, Welch reflects on growing House majority

Says lawmakers mulling action on abortion, assault weapons ban

By Peter Hancock CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

Illinois House Speaker Emanu el “Chris” Welch, who recently an nounced he has the support for an other term as House speaker, says he looks forward to governing with an even larger supermajority than he had during his first two years.

“Expanding our caucus was definite ly a priority of mine,” he said during an interview with Capitol News Illinois. “But from a policy standpoint, we want to continue to build on the budget work that we’ve done. Expanding our caucus would not have been possible if people didn’t believe Democrats were doing the right things.”\Welch, a Democrat from suburban Hillside, was elected speaker in January 2021 after most in the Democratic caucus refused to back longtime Speaker Michael Madigan, who’d been implicated in a bribery scandal and has since been in dicted on corruption charges.

During his first two years, Dem ocrats held a 73-45 advantage in the House, and Welch used that to pass landmark legislation, including the Clean Energy Jobs Act, which pro vides state support for carbon-free en ergy production and seeks to phase out fossil fuel power plants by 2045.

That supermajority also enabled Democrats to control the redistricting process when lawmakers drew new maps for the General Assembly, con gressional districts and the Supreme Court. In the elections that followed, Democrats widened their majority in the House by at least four seats—one race remained too close to call as of last week—while also capturing a 5-2 majority on the state supreme court.

In all, while Democrats who ran for statewide offices received, on average, about 55 percent of the vote, Demo crats captured roughly 66 percent of the state legislative seats.

When asked whether gerryman dering played a role in those results, Welch said it did not.

“What I would say is that the maps reflect the diversity of our state,” he said. “And one of the things that I said as the leader of our caucus and the speaker of the House last year when we were going through that process, that any fair map would reflect the di versity of our state. And if you look at the election results, the election results show that.”

He said the results in the House were an example of that.

“We elected our first Vietnamese American to the House,” he said. “We elected our first Korean American to the House. We elected our first Arab American Muslim to the House. We elected our first Indian American Mus lim to the House. We elected our first South Asian, Pacific Islander Amer ican to the House. Diversity is well represented in the Illinois House, and we look like Illinois, and we look like America. And we should be proud of that.”

Welch said one key factor in the

election that worked in Democrats’ favor was the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June overturning Roe v. Wade. That decision, in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, said the U.S. Constitu tion does not protect a woman’s right to have an abortion, effectively giving states the authority to regulate that pro cedure as they see fit.

“It certainly played a role in what happened on Nov. 8,” he said. “You know, I said it in a number of speech es here during the campaign that No vember was coming. And if you look at what happened here in Illinois and across the country, that decision really got women to the polls. It got 18- to 24-year-olds to the polls, and they vot ed in droves.”

When the Dobbs decision was handed down, Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and Democratic leaders in the General Assembly quickly called for

a special session to call for even more protection for abortion access in Illi nois. Likewise, a few weeks later after a mass shooting at a July 4 parade in Highland Park, they called for a special session to call for more restrictions on assault-style weapons in Illinois.

But in the ensuing weeks, both of those issues were put on hold as var ious “working groups” were formed with lawmakers and stakeholders in an effort to reach a consensus on mea sures that could actually pass.

While Illinois has among the least restrictive abortion laws on the books, Welch said there is still more the state can do, possibly including a state con stitutional amendment to protect abor tion rights.

“That’s certainly one of the ques tions that’s out there, and it’s a strong possibility,” he said. “But again, I don’t want to get ahead of the working group or the recommendations they formally

present. I’m certain that’s one of the things that’s on the table.”

Regarding assault weapons regula tion, Welch said that issue will have to wait until the 2023 session begins in January, when only a simple ma jority of votes is needed to pass new laws with an immediate effective date. That’s because the Illinois Constitution requires a three-fifths majority for bills passed after June 1 to have an immedi ate effective date.

“Anything that we do on assault weapons, we would want it to be effec tive immediately,” he said. “And I just don’t think we would have 71 votes to get something done in this shortened veto session. But I do believe that we’re going to be able to deliver for the people of Illinois an assault weap ons ban next year, and we’re going to work real hard to make that happen.”

Lawmakers still had the veto ses sion, which continued through Dec.1.

Welch said the top priority for those days were to pass “clarifications” to the SAFE-T Act, a sweeping criminal justice reform package passed in Jan uary 2021 that includes, among other things, eliminating cash bail effective Jan. 1, 2023.

In particular, he said, there has been disagreement among prosecutors and law enforcement officials about what should happen on Jan. 1 with people already being detained pretrial in lieu of bail. The law doesn’t specifically say what happens to those individu als, which has led some to claim that it could lead to their widespread release from jail.

“They’re interpreting it in a way that says that they have to swing the jail doors open at midnight,” he said.

“And even though that’s absolutely not true, we’re going to add some lan guage making it explicitly clear how that transition should work.”

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Addison Trail hosts International Fest Week

During the week of Nov. 7, Addi son Trail hosted its annual Interna tional Fest Week, during which 12 presenters spoke with students about their travels and experiences around the world.

Through the presentations, stu dents were able to learn about a vari ety of countries, cultures, topics and perspectives. Addison Trail partnered with Junior Achievement of Chicago to help coordinate and organize the speakers. Prerecorded videos and a virtual world language fair also were available.

During the event, Addison Trail’s International Club also hosted Games From Around the World and a Spirit Week, with each day fea turing a different travel theme. The group offered a Dec-A-Door contest as well, where resource classes chose a country and decorated their door to represent that location and culture. The goal was to show that Addison Trail encompasses many nationali ties but is one Blazer Nation.

The decorations were judged, and the winner was special education teacher Jessica Sokolowski’s class, which showcased France.

International Fest Week culminat ed with the school’s annual Interna tional Dance Show, which featured dances that represented various countries/cultures.

•

Coming events

Editor’s note: Unless otherwise specified, learn more about these events and programs at: addison library.org/events or call 630-5433617.

Friday, Dec. 2

Digital converting: VHS to MP4

From 1-2 p.m. at the Adult Pro gram Room of the Addison Public Library, learn how to preserve your VHS tapes by converting them to digital MP4 files. During this class, you will get a demonstration of the Creative Studio’s digitizing equip ment and ElGato Video Capture soft ware.

Saturday, Dec. 3

Las Posadas story time

From 2-3 p.m. at the Addison Pub lic Library, join The Language Labs for a story time celebrating Las Posa das!

Tuesday, Dec. 6

Conflict management

From 10-11 a.m. on Zoom via the Addison Public Library, it is more critical than ever to effectively nav igate workplace conflict. In this workshop, you will learn strategies to identify the root of conflict and to resolve differences in a positive way.

Wednesday, Dec. 7

Let’s get together story time

From 10-10:30 a.m. at the Addi son Public Library, celebrate every thing that makes your family special with songs, stories, and crafts!

• Talking politics

Starting at 7 p.m. at the Large Meeting Room of the Addison Pub lic Library, get out of your echo

chamber! Discuss and debate politi cal issues with your neighbors in this safe space.

Thursday, Dec. 8

• Zumba!

Starting at 7 p.m. at the Large Meeting Room of the Addison Public Library, instructor and performer Er ika Ochoa leads this fun, fast-paced, musical exercise practice. No previ ous experience required. Instruction is bilingual, English/Spanish.

• Chair yoga

Starting at 10 a.m. at the Large Meeting Room of the Addison Pub lic Library both Dec. 8 and Dec. 22, certified yoga instructor Marti La hood will guide you through one of the gentlest forms of yoga.

• Drawing with Mark Anderson (for teens)

Starting at 3:15 p.m. at the Ad dison Public Library, professional illustrator and cartoonist Mark An derson brings your drawings to life and helps everyone from newbies to experts improve their skills.

Thursday, Dec. 8 through Sunday, Dec. 11

Jigsaw puzzle exchange

Swap out the jigsaw puzzles you have completed for something “new to you!” Drop-off dates are Dec. 8, 9 and 10 at the Adult Service Desk of the Addison Public Library. For each puzzle you donate, you will get a ticket to receive a different puzzle during the exchange.

Pickup is Dec. 11 at the Large Meeting Room.

At International Fest Week, visitors to Addison Trail performed dances representing their various nations and cultures around the world. Sponsored by Addison Trail’s International Club, these dancers celebrate with the flags of their countries.

This woman wears a gorgeous dress with a full circle skirt as she dances and twirls to the music of her country. It was one of many performances during International Fest Week at Addison Trail High School.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS Rock Valley Publishing

Viewpoint

Holiday

By Richard Guebert Jr. ILLINOIS FARM BUREAU PRESIDENT

Americans look forward to celebrating the simplest of gifts and gathering with family and friends around the table during the holiday season.

It is also often a time of giving thanks as Illinois farmers mark the end of another growing season.

The past few years have confronted all Americans to pivot, adapt, and learn as we navigate uncharted waters.

In March 2018, American farmers were dealing with market destruction because of China’s trade wars. The May 2019 spring planting season reminded Midwest farmers that Mother Nature was in charge when many acres went unplanted.

The pandemic that began in March 2020 forced all of us to pivot. Farmers continued to grow food to feed our neighbors in rural, urban, and global communities.

The curveballs continued in 2022 with high inflation, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and uncertainty for an already fragile economy. Farmers vividly remember the role inflation played in the 1980s farm crisis. That crisis is forever etched in farmers’ memories as historically high-interest rates reached 19 percent. Many farmers didn’t survive the crisis. Those who did spent many years paying off the debt created by the high-interest rates.

Despite the adversity many family farms have faced over the years, 96 percent of Illinois farms are still family-owned.

I understand firsthand the role inflation has had inside our home and farming operation. Inflation running at 7 percent to 9 percent in recent months is robbing consumers (and farmers) of their buying power Food price inflation is even higher. Other factors include supply chain disruptions and the war in Ukraine, with other countries pulling back on exports to protect domestic food supplies.

When I’ve been interviewed by news media over the past four years, the standard question is, “How will this impact consumers?” The truth is a farmer’s share of the food dollar is only 7.4 cents.

Illinois shoppers participating in the 37th annual American Farm Bureau Federation’s Thanksgiving Cost survey captured a statewide average price of $65.53 for a classic Thanksgiving meal for 10 people, a 13 percent increase over the previous year’s state average of $58.15. General price inflation is a big part of the increase in cost for the meal.

It is likely those high prices will continue through the remaining holidays and into the new year

Food prices reflect many factors including transportation, distribution, and food company marketing costs. Rising costs for fuel, which have more than doubled, and fertilizer, which have tripled, are driving food prices up. As President Kennedy said many years ago, “Farmers are price takers and not price makers.”

The food we grow is shared with our family, friends and neighbors. Farmers understand the pain consumers are feeling at the checkout counter this holiday season.

Slices of life Gratitude 2022: A new perspective

November is typically gratitude month. It’s a time for us to take stock of and count our blessings, being mindful of them and appreciating all that life has bestowed upon us.

We all know we should practice gratitude every day of the year, but heck, like the song says: one out of twelve ain’t bad.

I love gratitude better than a good turkey gravy poured over a big pile of mashed taters on a cool autumn day in November. And I’ve been known to tout this loudly: “Be grateful right now, or I’ll give you something to be grateful for!”

The last two Novembers— supposedly gratitude months—have been difficult for me. And, with a sign, I admit this year seems to be mirroring the last two. So, instead of being grateful for the normal things (which are great to be grateful for, but the way.) I’m taking a new path, a new route of gratitude. Much like I’ve taken a new route in life.

There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from Mia Ashley Sosa to the new name of Riley Knight Sosa. The court date will be held on 12/29/22 at 9:00 a.m., at 505 N. County Farm Rd., Wheaton, DuPage County, in Courtroom #2007. /s/Mia Sosa Mia A. Sosa (Published in the Addison Independent, Bensenville Independent & Villa Park Review Dec. 1, 8 & 15, 2022) 429466

As we give thanks again this year for our many blessings, please know farmers will strive to provide affordable food sustainably to make sure our traditions continue.

This op-ed was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.

This year, I am thankful for memories. And feelings. And the life I’ve lived so far (been blessed with so far) because it has been wonderful. We are told not to look back, not to look forward, but to stay in the present, but today I’m indulging myself.

Today I’m taking a peek at the past—with gratitude. Today I give thanks for 33-plus years of wonderfulness and things that surge the gratitude within me.

I am grateful I need to sleep with a weighted blanket because I was so

By JILL PERTLER Columnist

used to being hugged all night long.

I am grateful for the atlas I still keep in the car. You never trusted the app maps on your phone, and preferred to rely on good old paper navigation. I no longer use the atlas, but I’ll keep it forever, because it reminds me of you.

I am grateful for the many years I had someone to dance with at weddings.

I am grateful you got to see our daughter get married and walk her down the aisle at her wedding.

I am grateful we raised our children together and they got to adulthood (or nearly so) before you left this earth.

I am grateful for all the youth football games, the hockey tournaments, the voice recitals and the theater productions we attended together to celebrate our kids and our family

I am grateful for all you did for our family. You were a hand’s on dad. You were a loving husband. You took out the trash and cleaned up the cat vomit. You did the dirty work without complaint and often with a smile. You made me my coffee every morning.

I am grateful for your blue eyes

and your smile.

I’m thankful for the one time you talked me into going for a ride on the jet ski and I held onto you for dear life, because I trusted you and even though the jet ski was far (very far) from my comfort zone, I was able to do it because you were by right my side (or more correctly directly in front of me) during the entire ride.

I am grateful for your proofreading skills. I lost my editor when I lost you, but you continue to help me edit—in your own, new way.

I am grateful for all the times we walked and held hands. I know you did that for me because you know I loved it. Thank you for doing the things I loved, just to make me happy.

I am grateful for 33 years with my best friend and soulmate. I wouldn’t trade them for anything— not a million or a billion dollars. Well, I’d have to think about the billion …

Two years. It’s been two years since you left and it is so easy to dwell on those two years versus reflecting on the past—the 33 years that came before that. I don’t want to live in the past, but I don’t want to forget it, either. You gave me the last three decades of your life. What a beautiful gift.

Thank you.

Jill Pertler is an award-winning syndicated columnist, published playwright and author. She invites readers to follow the Slices of Life page on Facebook.

Elmhurst Library to host virtual event with cookbook author Shauna Sever

The Elmhurst Public Library in vites the public to join cookbook author and media contributor Shauna Sever for a special holiday season event. Shauna will share her love of food, baking, and some tips to help enhance your holiday gatherings in a virtual format.

On Tuesday, Dec. 13 from 7-8 p.m.,

Shauna’s work is perhaps best defined by her baking-centric cook books, her fourth of which, Midwest

Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland, was named one of the Best Baking Cookbooks of 2019 by The New York Times.

Since her career began in broad cast journalism, she uses the same skill set for her regular television ap pearances on the TODAY Show and

Food Network. After 12 years of Cal ifornia living, Shauna and her family returned to Chicago, where she now bakes, writes, and is always on the hunt for great old-school Midwest ern bakeries.

Chicago Tribune food critic Loui sa Chu will join Shauna in conversa

tion. This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events.

Registration required at elmlib. org/author. For more information, visit elmlib.org or call (630) 2798696.

Cantigny Run/ Walk benefits veterans shelter

Cantigny Park, part of the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, award ed a check for $16,000 to the Mid west Shelter for Homeless Veterans (MSHV) in Wheaton. The donation represents net proceeds from the 18th annual Cantigny 5K Run/Walk held on Nov. 5.

The check amount included cash donations from participating runners and walkers totaling $2,196—money contributed beyond their entry fees.

MSHV board President Scott Ziemba accepted the donation during Cantig ny’s Veterans Day commemoration. Matt LaFond, Cantigny Park execu tive director, presented the check.

Including this year’s donation, the Cantigny 5K has now generated $156,000 for MSHV since 2008, the event’s first year of association with the shelter.

MSHV also receives funding from Cantigny Post 556 of the American Legion, based at the First Division Museum at Cantigny Park. The le gionnaires hosted a pancake break

This

On Tuesday, Dec. 13 from 7-8 p.m., join the Elmhurst Library’s virtual visit with cookbook author Shauna Sever, known for her appearances on the TODAY Show and Food Network.

is the book cover of Shauna Sever’s latest publication, available on amazon.

join the Library’s virtual author visit, Midwest Baking with cook book author and media contributor Shauna Sever.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS Rock Valley Publishing

Flagpole removed from Old State Capitol

Project is part of ongoing historic

By Peter Hancock CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

People walking through downtown Springfield Nov. 21 looked up to an un usual sight—a helicopter hovering over the Old State Capitol, dropping a rope and lifting away the flagpole that sat atop the bronze-colored dome.

“We took off the flagpole of at the Old State Capitol today in preparation for a new automated one that will be going up probably in a few months,” said Troy Gilmore, assistant site superintendent for the Springfield State Historic Sites with the Illinois Department of Natural Re sources.

The operation took fewer than 15 min utes and was part of an ongoing reno vation project that has kept the historic building shrouded behind scaffolding for about two years. The project involves re pairing roof leaks, repairing and replac ing windows, and replacing portions of the columns known as “capitals”—the decorative portions at the top of Corin thian columns.

Gilmore said replacing the manually controlled flagpole with an automated one will improve safety for workers who raise and lower the flag to half-staff or full staff when occasions call for it.

The Old State Capitol, located a few blocks northeast of the current State house, was used by lawmakers from 1840

renovation

to 1876. It was the Capitol when Abra ham Lincoln served in the Illinois House and it is where he delivered his famous “House Divided” speech in 1858 after ac cepting the Republican Party nomination for the U.S. Senate.

Gilmore said that when the legislature left the building in 1876, it was purchased by Sangamon County, which operated it for the next 90 years, during which time it made several substantial changes.

“The most drastic change that the county made was in 1900, when they raised the building up 11 feet taller than it even stands today,” he said. “And that was to add another level of offices on the ground floor. So, after 1902 you walked straight into the building off of the street level, you didn’t even walk up the steps as you would have today.”

The state of Illinois purchased the building in 1966 and launched a threeyear restoration project to return the building to its original state, a project that involved taking the building apart and re building it piece-by-piece.

Gilmore said the current renovation project will soon move into its second phase, which will involve removing as bestos from the boiler rooms and install ing new restrooms for the first time since the 1960s.

He did not offer an estimate of when the entire project will be complete.

First time at the Turkey Trot

PAUL DELGUIDICE PHOTO Elmhurst Independent

The Regan family, including Morgan (155), Conor (156) Maria (157) and Dan (158), partici pated in the 39th Annual Dan Gibbons Turkey Trot this year for the first time.

• 4-8 p.m. ~ Food trucks (My Funnel Truck, Tickle my Tamale, Spoon Burger, Hat Trick BBQ)

• 5-8 p.m. ~ Featuring free photo with Santa, courtesy of JW Reedy

• 5-8 p.m. ~ Trolly with stops at St. Nick’s Mart (library) & the historical museum (raffle & more)

• 5-8 p.m. ~ Character photo-ops (Mickey, the Grinch)

• 5-8 p.m. ~ Petting zoo & pony rides

• S’mores station, Free hot chocolate provided by the VFW, Choir Carolers!

• Head across the street to Standard Meadery for their pop-up cookie event and an adult beverage!

ICCP Football wins state championship

Knights cap season at 13-1; bring home program’s sixth state title

By Mike Miazga CORRESPONDENT

It’s a six-pack for the IC Catho lic Prep football team. The Knights capped off a dominating season in apropos fashion with a 48-17 vic tory over Williamsville in the Class 3A state-championship game held at Memorial Stadium on the campus of the University of Illinois in Cham paign-Urbana. IC Catholic Prep fin ished the season 13-1 and won the program’s sixth football state cham pionship since 2002 and fourth un der 11th-year coach Bill Krefft. The Knights have now won state titles in 2002, 2008, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022.

Since 2016, only one other high school football program in the state of Illinois (covering all 8 enrollment classifications) has equaled IC Cath olic Prep’s four state titles — that be ing Lena-Winslow, a Class 1A school with an enrollment of 249 students 45 minutes northwest of Rockford

• Events

Friday, Dec. 9

• Free time Fridays

that won state titles in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022. Only two other teams in the state have won three ti tles during that timeframe (Rochester and East St. Louis) and only 13 have won multiple state titles dating back to 2016.

In the win over Williamsville (122), the Knights had to come from behind to secure the state’s top prize.

Williamsville kicked a 23-yard field goal with 2:22 left in the first quar ter and then added a 16-yard passing touchdown with 10:15 to play in the second to take a 10-0 lead. And then the fun started.

IC Catholic Prep proceeded to rattle off 48 unanswered points in essentially two quarters of action as fans at Memorial Stadium watched the game deteriorate into a blowout. It was ICCP’s ninth instance of scor ing 40 or more points this season and third in the playoffs. In those nine games, IC Catholic Prep’s average margin of victory was 44 points.

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Starting at 11 a.m. at the Adult Program Room of the Addison Pub lic Library, join us for crafts, games, light refreshments, conversation, and fun with friends old and new. We’ll do something different each time we meet and it will always be a fun treat.

• Craft time for littles:

Holiday edition (drop in)

From 10-10:45 a.m. at the Ad dison Public Library, join us for crafts celebrating the upcoming hol idays. Geared towards ages 2-5, but all ages welcome.

Saturday, Dec. 10

Family story time (drop in)

From 2-2:30 at the Addison Pub lic Library, enjoy stories, songs, and a fun activity. Geared toward ages birth-3 but all ages are welcome.

Ongoing events

Open labs

Mondays Dec. 5, 12 and 19 from 1-4 p.m.; Tuesdays, Dec. 6, 13 and 20 from 5-8 p.m.; Wednesdays Dec. 7, 14 and 21 from 9 a.m.-noon; and Fridays Dec. 9 and 16 from 1-4 p.m., during open labs, you can drop in to the Creative Studio to get help from trained staff with your project.

Baby and toddler time

From 10-10:45 a.m. Thursdays Dec. 1, 8 and 15 at the Addison Pub lic Library, join us for an informal play time to meet new people or see your friends from story time. Listen to some music, play with our special toys for babies and tots, and social ize!

Open enrollment is ongoing for the Addison Park District Preschool

The Addison Park District pre school program curriculum reflects the Illinois Early Learning and De

velopment Standards. Visit www. illinoisearlylearning.org for more de tails. The Park District helps children develop prekindergarten skills, in cluding letter/name recognition, lis tening skills, healthy habits, cooper ative play, fine motor, and socializa tion skills. The experiences are both educational and recreational, which aid in social, physical, intellectual, and emotional growth. Registration is taken in-person at the Centenni al Rec Center. Call (630) 233-7275 option 3 for registration availability. Visit addisonparks.org for required paperwork due prior to first day of program.

English reading circle

Starting at 11 a.m. Tuesdays at the Adult Program Room of the Addison Public Library, build your vocab ulary and reading skills in a small group setting.

English conversation groups

At 2 p.m. Mondays on Zoom, and at 7 p.m. Wednesdays at the Adult Program Room of the Addison Pub lic Library, practice listening and speaking skills in a small group set ting. Learn more at: addisonlibrary. org/events

English reading circle

At 11 a.m. Tuesdays at the Adult Program Room of the Addison Pub lic Library. Learn more at: addisonli brary.org/events

Heroes story time

From 10-10:30 a.m. at the Addison Public Library, join us for stories and activities about everyday heroes, su perheroes, and more.

Clubs and organizations are wel come to send entries for this column to: news1@rvpublishing.com. Please include a phone number or e-mail address to contact for information.

KJ Parker caught a 65-yard touch down pass from Dennis Mandala to cut the lead to 10-7 with 9:29 to play before halftime. Denzell Gibson’s 51-yard touchdown run with 1:34 to play in the second quarter gave the Knights a 13-10 lead they would never relinquish. Gibson’s 34-yard run with 10:25 to play in the third put IC Catholic Prep up 20-10 and Eric Karner followed that up with a 25yard touchdown pass from Mandala with 6:25 left in the third to put the score at 34-10.

JP Schmidt then caught a 74-yard pass from Mandala with 2:44 left in the third quarter to give the Knights a 41-10 lead. Mandala, an all-state selection, capped the scoring with a 56-yard rushing touchdown with 11:31 to play in the fourth quarter. He accounted for five of ICCP’s touch downs on the day. The Knights put up 28 points alone in the third quar ter.

After Williamsville scored on two of its first three possessions (the first ended on downs at the ICCP 34), the Bullets’ remaining possessions in the game included an interception, punt, punt, halftime, punt and three

turnovers on downs before scoring its final points with 6:30 left in the contest.

By comparison, IC Catholic Prep’s first five possessions featured two punts, a touchdown, a punt and an interception. Following that the Knights scored touchdowns on its next six possessions before end ing the game with the ball again in its hands at the Williamsville 33 in the midst of a 12-play, 62-yard fourth-quarter drive that account ed for 6:30 of ICCP’s total 20:32 time of possession — meaning the Knights had the ball for only 14:02 prior to that and caused all of the above 48-point chaos during that timeframe.

In those six straight touchdown scoring drives, the Knights needed only 22 plays that covered 346 yards and took only 11:50 in total time of possession. Gibson ran 10 times for 138 yards and two touchdowns, while Mandala ran six times for 78 yards and a score and Malik Gray ran nine times for 57 yards. The Knights ran for 296 yards and averaged 8.5 yards per carry.

Mandala finished the game 10

of 17 for 200 yards and four touch downs. Parker caught four passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns, while Schmidt had two catches for 82 yards and a score. Karner had two catches for nine yards and a score and Joey Gliatta caught one pass for 12 yards.

Schmidt led the defense with 16 total tackles (11 solos) and had three tackles for loss. Jesse Smith had 15 tackles (11 solos). Kaleb Ellis had two pass breakups. The two teams combined for 878 yards of total of fense with ICCP falling four yards short of an even 500. The Knights averaged 9.5 yards per play, while in stark contrast Williamsville, which ran 93 total offensive plays com pared to ICCP’s 52, averaged only 4.1 yards per play. There were only three turnovers in the game (Wil liamsville threw 2 picks and ICCP threw 1).

Krefft, an IC graduate and former Knights player himself, is now 10622 at the helm of the program. Tak ing away the COVID-19 pandemic year, his teams are 86-8 since 2015 with seven seasons in a row (again taking out the pandemic year) of 11 or more wins.

IC Knight defensive players KJ Parker (#14) and Michael Calcagno (#53) close in on a Williamsville Bullet running back during the first half of the IHSA Class 3A State Championship Game. All three athletes are underclassmen and are slated to return next year.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

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!

ICCP Knights take it all

The Knights of Immaculate Conception Catholic Prep (ICCP) hoist the trophy over their heads after winning the Class 3A state-championship game at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, beating Willliamsville by a score of 4817. ICCP finished the season 13-1, winning its sixth football state championship since 2002 and its fourth under Coach Bill Krefft.

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State superintendent of education announces retirement

State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen Ayala has announced plans to retire at the end of her cur rent contract, which concludes Jan. 31, 2023.

Ayala has served as State Super intendent since early 2019, shep herding Illinois schools through COVID-19 and kickstarting their academic recovery - leading most re cently to a decade-high in the state’s graduation rate. Ayala was the first woman and the first person of color to serve as permanent superintendent for the Illinois State Board of Educa tion (ISBE).

“Dr. Ayala represents the highest level of dedication to public service,

• Shelter

and over her long career she has pos itively impacted thousands of Illi nois students,” said Gov. JB Pritzker. “Not only did Dr. Ayala’s steadfast leadership guide our schools through an unprecedented pandemic, but she also kick-started students’ academ ic recovery. Under her leadership, we’ve seen significant growth in high school graduation rates and other key educational metrics, a true testament to her hard work and dedication to Illinois students. I’m grateful for her service and wish her and her family all the best for a well-deserved retire ment.”

Prior to her appointment as state superintendent, Ayala served as su

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fast at Cantigny during the 5K that collected $539 in direct donations to the shelter. MSHV is the primary community service activity of Post 556.

The Midwest Shelter for Home less Veterans opened its doors in 2007.

It provides vets and their fami lies with housing and supportive services that lead to self-sufficien cy. MSHV’s operations include

three facilities in downtown Whea ton. To learn more, visit the shelter online at helpaveteran.org.

This year’s 5K attracted 750 reg istered runners and walkers. The next Cantigny 5K is on November 4, 2023.

Cantigny Park is open daily in December from 9 a.m. to sunset. More information is online at Can tigny.org, including a full calendar of seasonal events.

perintendent of Berwyn North School District, assistant superintendent in Plainfield and Aurora East Districts, and as a classroom teacher in Aurora and in Chicago Public Schools. Aya la provided leadership for Illinois schools during COVID-19, oversee ing an unprecedented shift to virtual and socially distanced learning.

During Ayala’s time at ISBE, the state recorded its highest high school graduation rate since reporting began in 2011, driven by increased gradua tion rates for Black and Hispanic stu dents under Ayala’s equity-focused

leadership. ISBE also saw educa tor retention and diversity increase during her tenure.

Ayala also shepherded the devel opment and implementation of the 2020-2023 ISBE Strategic Plan and the creation of the Equity Journey Continuum, which helps school dis tricts identify gaps in students’ ac cess to opportunities, resources, and supports.

Ayala is a graduate of Mundelein College, Dominican University, and Loyola University of Chicago with undergraduate, masters of business

administration, and doctorate in ed ucational leadership and policy de grees. She previously served as an executive board member on the Lati no Policy Forum, where she champi oned equitable funding and increased resources for English Learners.

Ayala has held positions on nu merous boards and committees, in cluding the Illinois State Board of Education Bilingual Advisory Coun cil, Illinois Women in Educational Leadership, Illinois Resource Center, and the Illinois Professional Review Panel for Evidence-Based Funding.

Art in Wilder Park to return early May

Over the weekend of May 6 and 7, the 26th Annual Art in Wilder Park will return to Elmhurst offering a wide selection of arts and wares to the over 7,500 visitors who are ex pected.

In 2022, the Elmhurst Art Museum helped relaunch Art in Wilder Park with a widely successful festival that drew art enthusiasts from throughout the area. As lead producer in 2023, the Museum has set its sights on an even larger, more inclusive, and accessible event for the whole fam ily. Programming will feature more than 125 booths of one-of-a-kind art, various food vendors and numerous hands-on activities for kids.

In 2022 the event was voted one of the Best in the West, featured in numerous press outlets, and attracted nearly half of its visitors from out

side Elmhurst. Booth fees are $400/$500, Jury fee $25. Artist applications are available at elmhurstartmuseum.org. Artist ap plications are due Saturday, Feb. 19, 2023.

Art in Wilder Park 2023 jurors include: Roz Long of RGL Market ing for the Arts, Inc.; Debbie Vene zia, Director of Arts DuPage and long-time organizer of Naperville’s Riverwalk Fine Art Fair; and Krista Renfrew, former Director of Special Events at the Milwaukee Art Muse um and organizer of the Lakefront Festival of the Arts.

Art In Wilder Park’s presenting sponsor is Kelly Stetler Compass, in partnership with the Elmhurst Park District with consulting by RGL Marketing for the Arts. Additional sponsorship provided by Discover

DuPage and Unlimited Heating & Cooling. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more informa tion, visit elmhurstartmuseum.org.

Marvelocity opens to Art in Park visitors

Discoverable on the weekend of the 26th Annual Art in Wilder Park will be a newly commissioned pub lic art installation of life-sized su perhero sculptures by area artists and youth groups. This installation will be a bold preview of our sum mer show, Marvelocity, featuring the iconic work of comics legend Alex Ross. Marvelocity is scheduled to open Friday, June 9.

A