VPR072023

The Queen of Hearts is still hiding in VFW Post 2801’s contest Winner’s share is over $17,500, before taxes; next drawing takes place this Friday

The winner’s share of Villa Park Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2801’s current Queen of Hearts contest stands at over $17,500—be-

fore taxes.

That amount is certain to rise before the next ticket drawing, which will be held at 8 p.m. this Friday, July 21. The drawing will take place

at the post, which is located at 39 E. St. Charles Road.

The post is open to the public. A five-pack of tickets in the Queen of Hearts drawing costs $5. Contes-

tants do not need to be present at the Friday-night drawing. Tickets are on sale at the post throughout the week, up until a few minutes before the ticket drawing.

The contest features a board of 54 spaces that represent a full deck of cards, including two jokers. Each card on the board is numbered and concealed. The ticket drum is cleared after each week’s drawing.

Each Friday, the contest tickets that were sold during the week are

spun in the rotating drum, and one ticket is selected. That ticket includes a number representing one of the spaces in which the card has not yet been revealed.

If the card on that space contains the Queen of Hearts, the owner of the selected ticket claims the winner’s share.

The Queen of Hearts is still hiding behind one of 11 covered spaces remaining on the contest board. She won’t be hiding much longer.

atWillowbrook

The excitement continues to build in Villa Park Veterans of

Wars

Freshman Lindsey Rugg of the Willowbrook softball team is pictured while attempting to score a run during Friday’s game at Downers Grove South. Rugg tried to score from second base on a single by sophomore Katelyn Cox in the top of the second inning, when the game was tied at 2-2. Downers Grove South’s catcher tagged Rugg out at home plate for the third out of the inning. The Mustangs went on to defeat the Warriors 7-3 in the West Suburban Gold Conference contest. Wil-

Willowbrook High School’s Class of 2021 celebrated its commencement with two separate ceremonies in the school’s main gymnasium on Sunday morning. The entire class includes over 470 students. About half of those students attended the

InsIde:

current Queen of Hearts contest. The winner’s share in the contest stands at about $17,500, before taxes. The Queen of Hearts remained hiding on the contest board after the drawing of Friday, July 14. Pictured above, left to right at that drawing are Michael Huston of the post’s command staff and post bartender Mary Agrusa. The 10 of Hearts was uncovered during Friday’s drawing. There are now 11 covered spaces remaining on the contest board. The next drawing takes place at 8 p.m. this Friday, July 21. Contestants do not need to be present at Friday night’s drawing. A five-pack of contest tickets costs $5. Tickets are on sale at the post throughout the week, up until a few minutes before the drawing. The post, which is open to the public, is located at 39 E. St. Charles Road. The post thanks all of the people who are supporting the Queen of Hearts contest. “We appreciate everyone who comes in and contributes,” said Agrusa.

lowbrook rebounded from Friday’s loss to post an 11-2 win in Saturday’s game at Hinsdale Central. The Warriors bashed three home runs in the second inning of Sat urday’s non-conference battle against the Red Devils of the West Suburban Silver Conference. Senior Annemarie Knudtson, freshman Isabella Dugo and sophomore Kayleigh Dennison provided the home runs. Dennison (No. 5) is pictured in the background of the above photo. For more about the Warriors, see page 14.

Arbor Day in Villa Park

ceremony that began at 9 a.m. The others participated in the ceremony that started at 11 a.m. The photo shows members of the Willowbrook Senior Choir performing during the day’s first service. For more photos, see Page 4.

Memorial Day in Villa Park

of the Villa Park Community Pride Commission. Arbor Day is observed on the last Friday of each April. The National Arbor Day Foundation has recognized Villa Park with Tree City USA designation for 36 straight years. To receive that recogni tion, a community must have a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, a comprehensive com munity forestry program and an Arbor Day observance.

Villa Park Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2801 held its Memorial Day service on Monday morning at Cortesi Veterans Memorial Park. Post Commander Jim Blankshain is pictured bowing his head as Willowbrook High School students Lily Hendrickson and Anna Seelbach sound taps at the end of the ceremony. The post’s

year’s observance included a reading of

That list included World War II veteran Charles “Sid” Bergh, who served as the master of ceremonies of the post’s annual Memorial Day service for several years. A veteran

October 2020. He was 94 years old. Bergh was the

CHRIS FOX PHOTOS Villa Park Review

Foreign

(VFW) Post 2801’s

2020 Memorial Day event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This

the names of the Post 2801 members who have recently died.

of the U.S. Navy, Bergh died in

post’s last surviving World War II veteran.

Chicago Actor’s Studio presents One Act Play Festival

With casts composed entirely of its students, Chicago Actors Studio will proudly showcase their talents in its 2023 One Act Festival.

The shows will be performed each weekend in August on a rotating basis. Talkbacks will be held after each performance with the cast and director.

Visitor from New York is part of the collection from California Suite, a 1976 play by Neil Simon. Hannah Warren is a Manhattan workaholic who flies to Los Angeles to retrieve her teenage daughter Jenny after she leaves home to live with her successful screenwriter father William. The bickering, divorced couple is forced to decide what living arrangements are best for the girl. Anton Chekhov’s The Proposal is fast-paced play of dialogue-based action and situational humor. A young man Lomov comes to propose to his neighbors Natalya but they keep on fighting over various topics. Through this play, Chekhov exposes the “fakeness” of the world and tries to show how superficial modern people are. Rather than emotionally bonding in relationships, people instead connect with wealth and money.

“Lone Star is an uproarious comedy peppered with the playwright’s own special brand of cascading, spontaneous wit,” according to The New York Times. The play takes place in the cluttered backyard of a small-town Texas bar. Roy, a brawny, macho type who had once been a local high-school hero, is back in town after a hitch in Vietnam and trying to reestablish his position in the community. Joined by his younger brother, Ray (who worships him), Roy sets about consuming a case of beer while regaling Ray with tales of his military and amorous exploits. Apparently Roy cherishes three things above all; his country, his sexy young wife, and his 1959 pink Thunderbird. With the arrival of Cletis, the fatuous, newlywed son of the local hardware store owner, the underpinnings of Roy’s world begin to collapse as it gradually comes out that Ray had slept with his brother’s wife during his absence and, horror of horrors, has just demolished his cherished Thunderbird. But, despite all, the high good humor of the play never lapses, and all ends as breezily and happily as it began.

The Lieutenant of Inishmore is a dark comedy set in 1993 about Padraic, a singular member of a splinter cell of a splinter cell of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), who is informed that his cat, “Wee Thomas” is doing poorly. Dropping the current fixation of nipple torture and bombing chip shops, Padraic rushes home to find the beloved cat dead and subsequently goes on a John Wick-like rampage through the surrounding countryside. Featuring healthy doses of

dark humor, absurdity, and farce, The Lieutenant of Inishmore darkly lampoons the true absurdity of paramilitary nationalism, political extremists, and the inherent violence those ideologies have inevitably wrought upon both perpetrators and innocent bystanders.

Tickets are $15 tickets at the door or at www.eventbrite.com. Chicago

Actors Studio is located at 2040 N Elston Ave, Chicago.

Performances

Visitor From New York

Directed by Edward Denis Fogell

Will be shown as a double feature with:

The Proposal

Directed by Jonathan Isaac Frank

Aug. 4, 12, 20, 25

(The Proposal will be presented with two different casts.)

Lone Star

Directed by Edward Denis Fogell

Aug. 6, 13, 19, 26

The Lieutenant Of Inishmore

Directed by James Napoleon Stone

Aug. 5, 11, 18, 27

Additional Information

Content Disclosure: strong language, alcohol use, tobacco use, staged violence, simulated torture, flashing lights, sudden sounds, gunshots, disembowelment gore.

The shows will run approximately 75 minutes. One intermission will occur between Visitor from New York and The Proposal. Lot parking is available behind Best Buy.

Leave ’em laughing

Wednesday, July 12, was a night to remember for members of the audience at Chicago’s famed improv comedy club, Second City, according to actor and comedian Matt Kissane. “I got the call to play Matt Foley, the Motivational Speaker, for a group attending a performance at Second City!” This wasn’t the first time Kissane got a call to play Matt Foley at Second City. Back in 2019 the A&E Cable Network contacted him to be part of the Biography documentary “Chris Farley Anything For A Laugh!” Said Kissane, “It was so surreal being listed on the IMDB with all those big stars like John Goodman, David Spade and Dan Akroyd!” You can see that episode of Biography streaming on the A&E channel. Also on the A&E YouTube channel. Kissane, a Villa Park resident, makes his way back to Downtown Chicago on July 23 for a stand-up comedy show at The Laugh Factory. Kissane is seen here performing at The Second City.

Active Senior Expo coming to Darien July 26

Active Senior Expo, an annual event “dedicated to inform, educate and entertain senior citizens,” will be held on Wednesday, July 26, at the Darien Sportsplex, 451 Plainfield Road in Darien. Show hours are 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Active Senior Expo features hundreds of products and services designed specifically for seniors. Offerings include health care, retirement communities, assisted living, financial, insurance, legal, estate planning, home care, consumer products, government programs and more.

Special attractions include free seminars on Medicare, urinary health, prostate treatments and healthy weight loss. Also featured are free health screenings and door prize drawings. Live entertainment will be presented at 11:30 a.m.

No registration is required and regular admission to the event is $2. However, free admission coupons will be widely available and attendees can obtain a free admission coupon by visiting activeseniorexpo.net. Parking is free. Driving note: If coming from the east, use 75th Street entrance. If coming from the west, use Plainfield Road entrance.

The presenting sponsor of Active Senior Expo is Chicagoland’s Senior News, “The Premier News Source for Active Adults Age 50 and Better.” Major sponsors are Advocate Health Advisors, Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program, BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois, and Humana.

For further information, contact Silver Star Expositions at (630) 620-6347 or e-mail: activeseniorexpo@hotmail.com.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Lombardian

Villa Park reView

Your Hometown Newspaper

240 N. West Avenue Elmhurst, IL. 60126

Main Phone 630.834-8244 Fax 630.834-0900

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

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Pete Cruger

Publisher

Advertising:

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Subscriptions:

The Villa Park Review is mailed to the 60181 zip code areas for $45.00 yearly. Out-of-area mail subscriptions are $50.00 yearly. For home delivery information call 630.834-8244.

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THE VILLA PARK REVIEW

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Office Hours: Monday-Friday 11am-3pm

Bond set for Addison man charged with leading police on high-speed chase

Chase began on Ardmore Avenue in Villa Park

DuPage County State’s Attorney

Robert Berlin and Villa Park Chief of Police Michael Rivas announced last week that bond had been set for an Addison man accused of leading police on a high-speed chase.

Nikko De Pasquale, 29, appeared at a bond hearing on July 7, where Judge George Ford set bond at $75,000 with 10 percent to apply. De Pasquale is charged with two counts of aggravated fleeing and eluding a police officer (Class 4 felony) and multiple petty traffic offenses. De Pasquale is currently on parole for unauthorized use of a weapon by a felon (Class 2 felony) and escape (Class 3 felony) charges.

On July 6, at approximately 11:57 p.m., officers with the Villa Park Police Department observed a red 2002 Pontiac Coupe traveling northbound on Ardmore Avenue disobey a stop sign at a high rate of speed at Jackson Street.

Officers activated their emergency lights and sirens and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. It is alleged however that instead of pulling over, De Pasquale made a U-turn and accelerated away from the officers.

It is alleged that De Pasquale reached speeds of more than 89 mph in a 25-mph zone. It is further alleged that after officers successfully deployed a mobile stop stick, which deflated the rear passenger tire, De Pasquale continued to lead officers on a pursuit onto eastbound I-290. It is alleged that De Pasquale continued

Bond set at $2 million for Wood

Dale man accused of intentionally striking off-duty Cook County Sheriff’s Deputy with his car

on the expressway when a second mobile stop stick was used to deflate the front passenger tire. It is further alleged that De Pasquale exited I-290 at the North Avenue exit in Elmhurst, drove into Northlake, made another U-turn and re-entered I-290 westbound. After entering the expressway, the vehicle came to a stop near York Street, at which time officers took De Pasquale into custody.

“Unfortunately, we have yet to see a significant decrease in the number of cases involving defendants fleeing from police,” Berlin said. “This type of conduct is extremely dangerous and puts not only the driver at risk, but also puts the police officers involved and the public in harm’s way. Again, I urge all motorists, if you see flashing lights behind you, pull over. I thank the Villa Park Police Department for their efforts on this case.”

“The law enforcement community and citizens in DuPage County will not tolerate the dangerous alleged actions committed by the defendant,” Rivas said. “When an offender drives away from the police at a high rate of speed there is a complete disregard for the lives of those around them. The Villa Park Police Department is committed to going after, and arresting, all who jeopardize the safety and welfare of this community and surrounding communities. We are all in this together to maintain a safe way of life for all. We would like to thank the brave actions of our officers, as well as the actions of the Elmhurst Police Department, and Addison Police Department for their assistance.”

De Pasquale’s next court appearance is scheduled for July 31, for arraignment in front of Judge Daniel Guerin.

Willowbrook’s dance team to hold camp for kids next week

Five-day camp is for children ages 4-13

The Willowbrook High School dance team will hold a five-day camp for kids (ages 4-13) during the week of July 24-28.

Campers will meet daily at Willowbrook High School from 9 to 11 a.m.

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Itasca Director of Police Robert O’Connor have announced that bond has been set for a Wood Dale man accused of intentionally striking an off-duty Cook County Sheriff’s Deputy with his car.

Eliaz Lopez, 18, appeared at a bond hearing where Judge Mia McPherson set bond at $2 million with 10 percent to apply. Lopez is charged with one count of attempted murder of a police officer (Class X felony), two counts of aggravated battery to a police officer (Class 2 felony), one count of leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury (Class 2 felony) and two counts of aggravated battery (Class 3 felony).

On July 12 at approximately 12:41 a.m., an Itasca police officer responded to a call of a person being struck by a vehicle in the 300 block of N. Elm St. Following an investigation into the matter, it is alleged that the victim, an off duty, Cook County deputy sheriff in full uniform, had just parked his patrol vehicle on Elm Street when he heard a loud Dodge Challenger approximately 60 yards away.

It is alleged that the deputy shined his flashlight in the vehicle’s direction at which time the Challenger revved its engine and drove directly at the deputy, striking him and causing him to go on the hood of the car. It is further alleged that while the deputy was on the hood of the Challenger, the Challenger accelerated.

It is alleged that after approximately three seconds, the deputy jumped off the Challenger at which time the vehicle fled the scene. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he received medical treatment and was released later that day. Through the course of their investigation, authorities identified Lopez as a suspect in the case. He was taken into custody on July 12 from his residence in Wood Dale.

“The allegations that Mr. Lopez intentionally drove his vehicle directly at a uniformed deputy, striking him with his vehicle, and continued to accelerate with the deputy on the hood of the vehicle are outrageous,” Berlin said. “The type of blatant attack on law enforcement alleged in this case will be vigorously prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We are all thankful that the deputy involved in this incident was not seriously injured.”

“The perseverance and attention to details by Itasca Detectives Serio and Langlo were paramount in securing the charges brought forth by the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office,” O’Connor said.

Lopez’s next court appearance is scheduled Aug. 11 for arraignment in front of Judge McPherson.

College news

• Shanti Lindberg of Villa Park was one of over 7,300 students who graduated from Oregon State University in June. She earned a bachelor of arts, Summa Cum Laude, Spanish; and a bachelor of science,

Summa Cum Laude, Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences.

• Magdalene Houseman of Villa Park was named to the Winona State University dean’s list for the 2023 spring semester.

The camp will conclude with a showcase for family and friends at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 28. To sign up for the camp, visit https://dupage88.revtrak.net/rw-wbhs-athletics. Click on “Poms Youth” on the left side of the page.

Glenbard East, Willowbrook students receive Mary Wheeler Scholarship

Irena Urbain and Jenna Boynton, 2023 graduates of Glenbard East and Willowbrook high schools, respectively, were two of six recipients of the Mary Wheeler Scholarship. Each scholarship winner is awarded $3,200 by the West Suburban Teachers Union, Local 571, of the American Federation of Teachers. Winners exhibited the highest academic standards and involvement in school and community service.

Mary Wheeler was a teacher at Proviso High School from 1924 to 1965. She was a highly respected educator who was actively involved in the American Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Federation of Teachers as an AFT vice president and an IFT president. She founded the Proviso Council of Teachers during the 1938-39 school year and helped in the formation of several councils in the western suburbs.

Lombard Brew Fest to be held Saturday

The Lombard Junior Women’s Club will host the Lombard Brew Fest this Saturday, July 22, from 1-4 p.m.

The event, formerly known as the Lombard Ale Fest, will take place on Parkside Avenue between Lilacia Park and the Metra station. The fest plans to feature a wide variety of special beers, ciders, and hard seltzers from the Chicagoland area, as well as around the Midwest. Many of the breweries participating are located within a 10-mile radius of Lombard.

Each ticket includes 20 three-ounce samples and a souvenir tasting glass. A VIP ticket is available which includes one hour of early access to the festival.

In addition to delicious brews from around the area, attendees will enjoy live music from AD3 Acoustic Trio.

Based in Chicago, this trio of rotating guitarists and percussionists on cajón perform live music ranging from rock to R&B to country. The entertainment is sponsored by Kelly Stetler | Compass Realty. Food trucks will also be on hand to serve up food throughout the afternoon. Saucy Kat, Rosemary & Jeans, Go Doggy Run, and Taco Grill & Salsa Bar will be serving a variety of cuisines to hungry guests.

A selection of yard games will be available in the picnic area for those hoping to stay active while indulging. This event would not be possible without the support from sponsors, including BARREL Sponsors JT’s Porch & Eatery, Elevate Sign Group, Noon Whistle Brewing, Kelly Stetler | Compass Realty, and Waste Management. A full list of sponsors can be found on its website.

Nikko De Pasquale

Eliaz Lopez

Celebrating Addison’s Warhol hometown icons

The Addison Center for the Arts (ACA) hosted a ribbon ceremony on Saturday, July 8 to honor the accomplishments of Addison’s four Warhol Icons. The event brought together friends, family, and cultural dignitaries to honor the achievements of Don Jessen, Don Figarelli, Maria Reyes, and Alexa Knierem née Scimeca. Everyone admired the pop art portraits installed on the gallery windows of the ACA in the colorful style of Andy Warhol.

Notably, special thanks were extended to Tina Scimeca, mother of Alexa Knierem Scimeca, the renowned Olympic ice skater. Tina proudly represented her daughter, adding to the profound sense of pride that permeated the room. The ACA expressed gratitude to each of these local icons and their remarkable contributions, which have left an indelible mark on our community.

Diana Martinez, the director of the McAninch Art Center, discusssed the county-wide cultural event centered around “The Andy Warhol Portfolios: A Life in Pop.”

The ACA expressed its sincerest appreciation for her words, which shed light on the ongoing exhibition at the Cleve Carney Museum of Art. Addison’s contribution to the Warhol pop art festivities serves as a mere glimpse into the myriad Warhol-themed cultural events taking place throughout DuPage County this summer.

To commemorate their well-deserved “15 Minutes of Fame,” each of the Addison Warhol icons received a special copy of their respective portraits. These special mementos symbolize the recognition they have rightfully earned and will serve as lasting reminders of their outstanding achievements.

Together, inspired by the administration at the MacAninch Art Center’s invitation to present four of our most admired citizens with “15 minutes of fame,” it was a momentous celebration of culture, achievement and community. For more information about the

ACA, visit addisoncenterforthearts.org. To reserve tickets for the Andy Warhol Portfolios: A Life in Pop exhibition, visit theccma.org/ Warhol.

The Warhol exhibit remains at the MacAninch Art Center through Sunday, Sept. 10.

About Addison Center for the Arts

The Addison Center for the Arts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting cultural events and initiatives in Addison and surrounding communities. Through a vibrant array of

programs, exhibitions, and performances, the ACA fosters artistic expression, encourages cultural diversity, and enhances the quality of life for all residents. The gallery is located at 213 N. Lombard Rd., Addison. For more information, visit addisoncenterforthearts.org.

5.25

J Miceli Financial Advisor

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JULIE MARS PHOTO RoRock Valley Publishing

Addison’s own Warhol Icons honorees, including (from left): Tina Scimeca for Alexa Knierem, Don Figarelli, Maria Reyes and Don Jessen join Diana Martinez, director of the McAninch Art Center at College of DuPage on July 8 for a special reception in their honor .

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

Editor’s note: There were no reports submitted by the Addison Police Department last week.

Villa Park

July 7

A complainant at a smoke shop in the 1000 block of W. North reported at 4:05 a.m. that an unknown suspect(s) broke the drive-thru window and attempted to enter the building. Nothing appears to be missing.

July 6

Police said Adam Lee Dehna, 37,

of Villa Park, was arrested on a failure to appear warrant out of DuPage County in the 100 block of N. Summit at 6:25 p.m.

A complainant in the 300 block of N. Ardmore reported at 2:17 a.m. that a suspect battered them, but the complainant does not want to press charges.

July 5

A complainant at a park in the 1000 block of N. Ardmore reported at 5:08 a.m. that an unknown suspect lit a garbage can on fire, causing damage.

July 4

A complainant at a gas station in the 100 block of W. North reported at 2:12 a.m. that a suspect removed a bottle of alcohol and left. A citation was issued.

A complainant in the 700 block of N. Lincoln reported at 11:32 p.m. that an unknown suspect broke a window with an unknown object and entered the residence. Nothing appears to be

missing.

A complainant at a gas station in the 1-100 block of E. St. Charles reported at 11:54 p.m. that a suspect removed a cellphone that was left on a table.

July 3

Police said Sean M. Dunn, 31, of Villa Park, was arrested on a failure to appear warrant out of DuPage County in the 200 block of S. Cornell at 2:13 a.m.

Seferino Garcia-Velasquez, 43 (residence not known), was arrested for obstructing identification/disorderly conduct—breach of peace in the 300 block of N. Harvard at 6:24 p.m.

A complainant near Great Western Trail and S. Harvard reported that an unknown suspect battered them but does not want to press charges.

July 2

A complainant at a business in the 200 block of W. North reported that an unknown suspect removed a bat

from a display shelf and left the store without paying.

A complainant in the 200 block of E. Terry reported that an unknown suspect is requesting money via an application.

Fraud, identity theft

According to information provided last week by the Villa Park Police Department, police reported three incidents 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.

July 12, 1:33 a.m. in the 700 block of Grand Avenue, Chapree E. Davis, 26, of Chicago, was arrested for disorderly conduct-breach of peace.

BEPC2300576

July 11, 10:48 p.m. the Bensenville police tactical unit assisted Addison police with apprehension of robbery suspect. BEP23008011

July 11, 11:13 p.m. near Route 83 and 3rd Ave., Juan Carlos Go-

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mez-Santiz, 25, of Bensenville, was arrested for driving under the influence and other traffic violations. BEPC2300575

July 10, 9:38 a.m. in the 800 block of Supreme Drive, a complainant reported a battery with an unknown suspect. This incident is under investigation. BEPC2300568

July 9, 9:27 a.m. in the 600 block of York Road, a complainant reported receiving threatening text messages from an ex that she has an order of protection on. This incident is under investigation. BEPC2300565

July 9, 5:04 p.m. in the 1100 block of S. York Road, a complainant reported retail theft at their store. This case is under investigation. BEPC2300566

July 9, 11:42 p.m. in the 100 block of Henderson Street, a complainant reported unknown juveniles damaged their garage door. This incident is under investigation. BEPC2300567

July 5, 9:20 a.m. in the 1000 block of David Drive, a 41-year-old Bensenville man was arrested for domestic battery, and resisting arrest. He was transported station for processing, then transported to the DuPage County Jail. BEPC2300558

July 5, 4:38 p.m. in the 1110 block of Irving, a victim reports the contents of wallet were taken while in restroom. The incident is under investigation. BEPC2300559

13 confirmed tornadoes touch down in Chicago area July 12

Another tornado in WarrenvilleGlen Ellyn area July 14

STAFF REPORT

Area residents experienced some anxious moments Wednesday, July 12, as tornado warning sirens went off late in the afternoon throughout DuPage County.

At around 6:50 p.m., the National Weather Service (NWS) in Chicago issued a tornado warning for northeastern DuPage County and northwestern Cook County. Severe thunderstorms capable of producing a tornado were located along a line extended from Schaumburg to Glendale Heights.

That warning included Lombard, Elmhurst, Addison, Bensenville, Villa Park and Wood Dale.

There were downpours and wind gusts, but fortunately, no tornadoes developed in the Independent readership area. However, other communities throughout the Chicago area weren’t so lucky.

The National Weather Service confirmed 13 tornadoes touched down July 12—from Burr Ridge to Stickney, Elgin (two), Huntley, Oswego, Barrington, Long Grove, Loves Park, Schaumburg, Carol Stream to Glendale Heights, Itasca to O’Hare, O’Hare to Des Plaines and Stream-

wood—causing damage to homes, businesses, trees, yards and vehicles.

Elgin was one of areas hardest hit, as the NWS confirmed two tornadoes: an EF-1 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 100 mph, and an EF-0 tornado. The track of the EF-1 tornado started east of Route 47 and ended near the railroad tracks west of Villa Olivia Golf Course. The tornado snapped large trees and damaged homes. The Elgin Fire Department said at least 20 to 30 homes have significant damage, including eight in a subdivision that prevents them from being occupied. A video posted to social media showed two funnel clouds forming at the same time. The second tornado began near McDonald Road and ended along Hopps Road.

A confirmed EF-1 tornado began near Burr Ridge and continued northeast near Stickney. That tornado traveled around nine miles and reached winds near 110 mph. The NWS said a survey team completed a ground survey, reporting that numerous trees were snapped and uprooted, with several businesses seeing significant damage. Among those businesses

IHSA releases the state’s 2023 high school football schedules

Willowbrook begins its upcoming season with a non-conference road game at Notre Dame College Prep on Aug. 25

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) recently released the football schedules for the 2023 high school football season in Illinois.

Practices may begin on Monday, Aug. 7. Games can begin as soon as Thursday, Aug. 24.

Most high school football teams in the area will kick off the regular season with contests on the evening

of Friday, Aug. 25.

Willowbrook will open its ninegame regular season with a non-conference battle at Notre Dame College Prep in Niles on Aug. 25. The Warriors will play their 2023 home opener one week later, when they will face Glenbard North in a non-conference clash on Sept. 1.

Willowbrook will begin its West Suburban Gold Conference season

with a Sept. 8 game at District 88 rival Addison Trail. The Warriors will then travel to Downers Grove South to face the Mustangs in a conference matchup on Sept. 15.

Downers Grove South won the 2022 West Suburban Gold Conference title with a perfect 6-0 record in conference action. Willowbrook finished second in the conference standings with a 5-1 record.

The Warriors’ 2023 season will continue with a home game against conference rival Hinsdale South on Sept. 22. Willowbrook will travel to Maywood to face Proviso East in a conference game on the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 30. The Warriors will then face Oak Park/River Forest—of the West Suburban Silver Conference—in Villa Park on Oct. 6.

Willowbrook will finish its reg-

ular season with a conference game at Morton on Oct. 13, followed by a conference home game against Leyden on Oct. 20.

The Warriors finished the 2022 season with an overall record of 5-5. After going 5-4 during the regular season, the Warriors opened the IHSA post-season with a 35-14 loss at Wheaton North in a Class 7A playoff contest.

Montini Catholic remembers a special member of its family

Jim Kavanaugh filled many roles at Montini, including serving as the school’s first head football coach, wrestling coach and athletic director

STAFF REPORT

The Montini Catholic High School community is mourning the death of the Lasallian college preparatory high school’s founding member and first head football and wrestling coach, Jim Kavanaugh. Coach Kavanaugh passed away on Saturday, July 1.

Kavanaugh was a resident of Villa Park before moving to Plainfield, then Lake Geneva. His funeral Mass was held at St. Alexander Catholic Church in Villa Park on July 6.

When Montini Catholic opened its doors in the fall of 1966, Kavanaugh quickly became known as “Mr. Everything.” Named as the school’s first football coach, Jim wore many other hats as well, serving as a physical education teacher, guidance counselor, teacher, head of buildings and grounds and athletic director.

Tasked primarily with building the entire Bronco athletic program from scratch, Coach Kavanaugh hit the ground running and was instrumental in getting football, cheerleading, boys basketball, wrestling and baseball off the ground.

Coach Kavanaugh guided Montini’s first football team to a 4-41 overall record during its inaugural 1966 season. Playing at the junior varsity level under Kavanaugh’s

leadership, the Broncos posted a 6-22 record the following season before embarking in varsity competition beginning in the fall of 1968. It took just one game for Kavanaugh and his Broncos to earn their first varsity victory, defeating Lemont 21-14 in the season opener.

In total, during his 13 years of leadership, Kavanaugh led the Broncos to a 61-51-6 record, including nine winning seasons. The 1974 Broncos captured the school’s first ever conference championship in football, winning the West Suburban Catholic Conference crown. The 1974 team finished its season with a 7-2 record.

Kavanaugh was also very proud to have coached many AllConference athletes throughout his time as a football coach at Montini.

Kavanaugh made a long-term impact on Montini Catholic’s history when naming John L. Duffy Memorial Stadium after an impressive young Bronco player. John Duffy (a member of the Class of 1970) had been diagnosed with leukemia prior to his becoming a Bronco. When his physical limitations put him at risk on the field, it was Kavanaugh who made the decision to allow the young man to continue his dream of being a football team member by appointing him as Montini’s first athletic

manager.

Upon Duffy’s death, Kavanaugh requested that the new stadium be named in Duffy’s honor. Kavanaugh and the entire faculty wanted the stadium named in honor of Duffy as an example for future generations of Broncos who would follow in regards to Duffy’s commitment and loyalty to his team. (The official dedication and naming of the stadium took place on October 26, 1968.)

Kavanaugh started the Montini wrestling program in the winter of 1966-67 with the Broncos fielding a squad of 18 freshman wrestlers. Despite only coaching for one season, Kavanaugh helped lay the foundation for what is today one of the most successful high school wrestling programs in Illinois. Following his tenure as head football coach, Kavanaugh continued to serve Montini’s school community as the athletic director through

1996, before retiring as the director of guidance and boys golf coach in 2000. He returned frequently to Montini to participate in activities and to celebrate the school’s many milestone events, including the 50th anniversary celebration in 2016.

“I met Jim in late July 1974 for a teaching and coaching interview at Montini Catholic,” said Kavanaugh’s football coaching successor, Chris Andriano. “Kav asked me one question. Tell me about yourself. After maybe 10 minutes, he shook my hand and told me I had the job. He then gave me a post hole digger and told me to dig two holes 23 feet apart on the practice field! Five years later, he stepped down as head football coach, and picked me to replace him. He became my biggest advocate, supporter, and mentor. I will never forget everything he did for me and my career. I could always go to Kav with anything and he was

always there for me. A very special man. I will miss him dearly. Next to my family, he was the biggest influence in my life.”

“Jim Kavanaugh was literally one of the building blocks of Montini Catholic High School,” added Mike Bukovsky, a 1983 Montini graduate and the school’s current head football coach. “Throughout his many years of service to our Montini community, Jim took on many other roles as well, and was always a tireless worker no matter what job he did. Jim will always be remembered as the ‘Father of Montini football,’ and laid the groundwork for the future success of this program.” In addition to being a founding member of Montini Catholic, Kavanaugh was the father of several Bronco alumni: Ken ‘79, Chris ‘80, Matt ‘82, Maureen ‘88, Coleen ‘89 and the late Kathleen Kavanaugh. He was the father-in-law of Cathleen (Jelinek) Kavanaugh ‘80.

Jim Kavanaugh, a former Villa Park resident who was a longtime coach and teacher

High School in Lombard, passed away on July 1. Kavanaugh was a founding member of the high school, which opened in 1966. In addition to being the school’s first head football coach and its first wrestling coach, Kavanaugh served in many other capacities and became known as “Mr. Everything” at Montini. He retired as the school’s director of guidance and boys golf coach in 2000. One photo, from Montini’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2016, shows (left - left to right) Kavanaugh receiving an award from Principal Maryann O’Neill. Another photo shows (above - left to right) the three men who have served as Montini’s head football coach—Chris Andriano, Kavanaugh and Mike Bukovsky. Andriano succeeded Kavanaugh and guided the program for 38 seasons, from 1979 to 2016. Bukovsky, who graduated from Montini in 1983, has been the Broncos’ head football coach since Andriano retired shortly after the end of the 2016 season.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS Rock Valley Publishing

at Montini Catholic

Slices of life

The eye of the storm

Is it just me, or has life gotten more complicated? So many variables and tough decisions. So many crossroads.

And it’s all happening at lightning speed.

Even on days when I don’t tune in to the cable news networks.

The world feels like is spinning faster and faster on its axis. Or so it seems. And that can make life seem like an upended house during a tornado. (We aren’t in Kansas anymore.)

The storms seem to be all around us. The lightning and thunder are imminent. Threatening.

We watch our backs. We peek around the corner before stepping forward. We lose sleep. We worry about the past and what will happen next.

What will happen—if.

Life seems out of control, or at least beyond our control. It’s scary. Beyond scary. It is overwhelming and all-encompassing. It threatens to take our breath away.

If only we could make it stop.

But we can’t.

Or maybe we can. Even if just for a moment.

Take that moment. Take a breath.

For yourself and no one else. Just. Take. A. Breath.

Then take another. And other. And stay there. With just yourself and your breath.

Think of a positive thought and put it into a sentence, if you can.

The world is good. Life is good.

I am good.

Peace, kindness, love are inside me. Right now. Right here.

I love tacos.

You get the idea.

Don’t worry about bills or the mortgage or your kids or the leaking oil in your car. It will wait until after this moment. Believe me, it will all be there long after this moment.

So take it. The moment. Take it for you. Take it for all that you love. Take it for all that you hold close to your heart. Just take it.

It isn’t selfish. Not at all. It’s the opposite of that.

Finding your peace and your

By JILL PERTLER Columnist

calm is generosity at its finest. It enables you to escape the storm that threatens to torment your life. Take a break because you deserve it. You need it. You know you need it.

Oh how you know.

Life can feel like a storm, a tempest, a hurricane. The wind whips with life’s pressures and problems. Your hair may be drenched. Your clothes cling to your wet body. The air is hard and harsh blowing on your skin. Thunder echoes; lightning fills the sky. There are too many close calls to count.

But in the midst of every hurricane, including this one, is the eye of the storm. The calm. Find that. In the midst of chaos of life, find the center—the tranquil peace that is the eye of the storm—and hunker down and keep yourself there.

And just breathe.

In the quiet, still space where everything just outside your own being is whirling all around you, stay in they eye - in your own calm. Where everything is as it should be.

Still. Peace-filled. In focus.

Clarity is rampant in the eye of the storm. What a gift that is. Embrace that gift. Accept it as yours. Know that it is yours for the taking. A choice. Your choice.

The eye - in the calm, your calm can lead to clarity, to sanity in an insane world.

Chaos is undoubtedly all around us and it can be, and is, overwhelming. Find your calm. Your own calm, in the midst of the chaos. Right there in front of you.

In the eye of the storm.

Jill Pertler is an award-winning syndicated columnist, published playwright and author. Don’t miss a slice; follow the Slices of Life page on Facebook.

ComEd, Mayors Caucus award grants to advance EV adoption, public safety initiatives

To accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and other clean energy technologies and to support local public safety initiatives ComEd and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (MMC) today announced the 21 winners of the 2023 Powering Safe Communities grant program. The grants, totaling $169,500, will help support a variety of projects in communities across northern Illinois.

“ComEd is proud to work with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus to support community-led plans to promote the adoption of EVs and other clean energy technologies that will enhance air quality throughout the region,” said Louie Binswanger, senior vice president of government, regulatory and external affairs at ComEd. “With the clean energy transition underway in Illinois, ComEd’s partnership with cities and towns is critical to ensuring all residents have an opportunity to unlock the benefits of clean energy and the jobs and economic opportunity that come with it.”

The 2023 Powering Safe Communities awards mark the ninth year of the program, which has awarded 178 grants totaling $1.8 million to communities across northern Illinois since its launch in 2015.

To support the growth of EVs, recent years have placed an increased focus on critical infrastructure like EV chargers; in fact, seven of the 21 grants awarded this year will support transportation electrification.

“The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus is thrilled to once again partner with ComEd to provide funding that helps create safe communities while simultaneously preparing our region with the infrastructure necessary for an electrified future,” said Neil James, Executive Director at Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. “We are proud to help our local governments achieve their sustainability, safety and

infrastructure goals.”

Among the 21 ComEd Powering Safe Communities grant recipients for 2023 is the Addison Fire Department, which received a grant to replace outdated ventilation fans with newer models to eliminate the department’s dependence on fossil fuels and enhance firefighter safety.

This annual funding to support clean transportation and community safety builds on ComEd’s efforts to accelerate equitable EV adoption for the region. In addition to the Powering Safe Communities Program, ComEd has a variety of other funding and educational resources available to individuals and communities interested in pursuing transportation electrification.

In continued partnership with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, ComEd previously launched the EV Readiness Program—an initiative to help local governments prepare to meet the growing demand for EVs and EV charging infrastructure. The program is funded in part by a $225,000 commitment from ComEd and aims to assist local governments with developing policies and practices to safely integrate EVs and EV charging programs. The first cohort is underway, with 16 communities participating, and a second cohort set to begin later in 2023.

To further support Illinois’ goal of putting 1 million EVs on Illinois roads by 2030, ComEd has launched an all-in-one resource to help customers make informed decisions about the transition to EVs. The ComEd EV Toolkit provides customers with the latest information on purchase rebates and incentives, how to install home charging or find free public charging, and estimated annual savings related to switching to EVs via the personalized fuel cost savings calculator. To access the Toolkit, please visit comed.com/ev.

State regulators work to avoid federal Clean Air Act sanctions Continued noncompliance could result in loss of federal highway funding

By Peter Hancock CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

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

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

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

“At this point, any future course for this rulemaking depends entirely on JCAR’s review and decision-making on this proposal,” IPCB staff attorney Tim Fox said in a phone message. “The board awaits that review and decision-making at its meeting on Tuesday.”

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

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

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

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

Now, Illinois faces an Aug. 12 deadline to repeal the regulations that allow SSM exemptions and submit to the EPA a new state imple-

mentation plan, or SIP—a document that spells out the policies and regulations the state will use to implement the Clean Air Act. Otherwise, failure to comply will trigger federal sanctions against the state.

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

“The public health can be subjected to a lot more significant pollution during these events, and that’s why the Clean Air Act requires that facilities have plans in place to deal with that,” he said. “It could be additional pollution controls or other steps to make sure that we’re not putting even more pollution into the air we breathe during these startup, shutdown, and malfunction events. And Illinois rules have been lacking these requirements for over a decade.”

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

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

Years of controversy

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

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

Illinois hotels report record revenues for fiscal year 2023

By Andrew Adams CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

For hoteliers, business is booming in Illinois.

Last week, Gov. JB Pritzker, the state’s legislative leadership and representatives of the hospitality industry announced that hotels in Illinois saw record revenues in fiscal year 2023, which ended June 30.

Across the state, hotels brought in $307.8 million, according to figures from the state’s Department of Revenue. That beats fiscal year 2019, the previous record year for hotel income and the last year before the pandemic upended the hospitality industry.

Revenue in 2023 was up 35.8 percent from the prior year and 230.1 percent from fiscal year 2021, when the pandemic was still significantly affecting peoples’ travel habits.

“Tourism means more jobs for hotel and hospitality and recreation workers—good paying jobs with health insurance,” Pritzker said at a news conference in Chicago. “More tourism means millions of new visitors exploring all

the amazing things that our state and city have to offer.”

Major events have helped bolster Illinois’ tourism industry in 2023, according to Kristin Richards, the head of the state’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. These include the sold out Enjoy Illinois 300 NASCAR race in Madison and Taylor Swift’s Eras tour.

Swift’s fans, who descended on Chicago’s Soldier Field for three nights over the first weekend in June, contributed to Chicago seeing the highest weekend hotel occupancy rate in history—an average of 96.8 percent, according to reporting from Bloomberg.

But hotel revenues are only one way to measure tourism’s impact. Other metrics have yet to match 2019’s records.

The state’s tourism office partners with analytics firm Tourism Economics to research visitors’ impact on the state’s economy. The

See REPORT, Page 18

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

In April 2017, the then-new Trump administration put the SIP call on hold so it could reevaluate the issue. Three years later, in October 2020, EPA issued what it called a nonbinding “guidance memorandum” suggesting that policies such as those in place in Illinois and elsewhere would be permissible in some circumstances.

One month later, however, Democrat Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump for reelection. Soon after he took office, EPA issued a new memorandum withdrawing the Trump administration’s memo and reasserting the policy that SSM exemptions were no longer acceptable.

Looming sanctions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IDOT unveils 6-year, $41 billion plan for infrastructure projects

Largest multiyear plan in state history to affect all 102 counties

By Peter Hancock CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

The Illinois Department of Transportation unveiled a plan on July 7nfor spending nearly $41 billion in federal, state and local funds over the next six years to repair and upgrade roads, bridges, airports, rail lines and other infrastructure throughout the state.

The latest version of the plan, which IDOT updates annually, is the largest multiyear plan in state history. It’s driven by the state’s 2019 Rebuild Illinois capital infrastructure program.

The initial six-year Rebuild Illinois plan included $33.2 billion for transportation, funded largely by annualized increases to the state’s motor fuel tax and increases to driving-related licensing fees that took effect in 2020.

“Over the next six years, we’re investing over $40 billion to improve all modes of transportation across our great state,” Gov. JB Pritzker said at a news conference in Springfield. “And that means better roads and bridges, modernized transit and aviation, and expanded and faster passenger rail service. It even extends to improved river ports, new sewers and water infrastructure and a huge upgrade to bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.”

More than half of the plan, $27 billion, will go toward road and bridge projects, including $4.6 billion in the current fiscal year. That will fund repair and reconstruction of 2,866 miles of roadway and 9.8 million square feet of bridge deck on the state highway system, along with another 738 miles of roadway and 1.1 million square feet of bridge

deck in systems maintained by local governments.

The project list includes $611.5 million for reconstruction and improvements to portions of Interstate 90 in Cook County that will include improving safety and access to O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. The plan also calls for spending $135.1 million to expand portions of U.S. Highway 24 to four lanes in Peoria and Fulton counties; $156 million to replace a bridge over the Mississippi River in Quincy; and $116 million to replace a bridge over the Ohio River at Cairo.

The multiyear plan also earmarks $13.96 billion for other modes of transportation, including $9.85 billion for transit systems, $2.67 billion for freight and passenger rail, $1.25 billion for aviation projects, and $190 million for ports and wa-

terways.

Among the intermodal projects in the plan are $100 million for safety and reliability improvements on Amtrak’s Saluki service between Chicago and Carbondale and runway improvements at municipal airports in Litchfield and Pontiac.

Transportation Secretary Omer Osman said the $41 billion six-year plan represents a 10 percent increase over the previous multiyear plan, and the money earmarked for the current fiscal year represents a 25 percent increase over the previous fiscal year.

“But that is due in large part to the engineering and planning effort in the early years of capital program (which) is starting to result in more construction activity on work on the street,” he said.

Pritzker and other officials at the news conference emphasized that the

Rebuild Illinois program is meant to do more than improve safety and efficiency in transportation. The program is also supporting thousands of high-paying jobs in construction, engineering and other fields.

“This is more than just new rail. This is more than a runway at an airport,” said Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea. “This is about opportunities. We can see all those physical infrastructure improvements, but what we don’t really see is the opportunities that this program creates for a diverse workforce with high wages, middle class wages, health care, and retirement security.”

Through four years of the Rebuild Illinois program, IDOT has completed $12.1 billion of improvements statewide, including 5,339 miles of highway, 533 bridges, and 762 other safety improvements.

State ends fiscal year with record $50.7 billion in base revenue, sparking small surplus

By Jerry Nowicki

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

State revenues once again reached a record high in the fiscal year that ended June 30, creating what Gov. JB Pritzker called a “one-time” budget surplus of over $700 million.

The $50.7 billion in base general revenues that the state collected in fiscal year 2023—which exclude one-time pandemic-related federal funds—topped last year’s previous record by $373 million.

That’s $726 million beyond what was projected by the Governor’s Of-

fice of Management and Budget in its most recent estimate adopted in May during negotiations for the fiscal year 2024 budget.

“It’s always good to have a surplus, and that’s something that we’ve done consistently now for four years,” Pritzker said at an unrelated July 7 news conference. “I would add that much of the surplus that we saw that came in at the end of the year is onetime dollars.”

In recent years, the state has dedicated surpluses to paying down longand short-term debt, making pension

payments beyond the amounts required in law and providing one-time temporary tax relief.

Pritzker indicated he’d continue to be cautious when considering spending priorities for one-time revenues, echoing his budget office, which noted that revenues have fluctuated wildly from month to month in recent years.

“This is a kind of an unexpected additional amount of money,” Pritzker said. “We’re going to try to apply it to things like paying down debt, the things that we’ve been doing.”

A cushion for 2024

The surplus creates some breathing room one week into a $50.4 billion state spending plan for fiscal year 2024 that anticipates a slimmer surplus of $183 million.

“The overperformance in FY 2023 revenues essentially translated into a lower than projected June 30 bills on hold at the (comptroller’s office) and higher than expected cash balances going into the new fiscal year,”

Carol Knowles, a spokesperson for GOMB, said in a statement prior to

the governor’s comments. “We will continue to monitor the revenue performance in FY 2024 as the national economy continues to have mixed economic projections.”

Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s office noted the state entered the year with over $1 billion in its general revenue fund and an accounts payable balance of just over $500 million, meaning bills are paid within a week of being sent to Mendoza’s office. The balance of the state’s “rainy

See REVENUE, Page 18

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$4 House Wine (Woodbridge)

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Montini Catholic High School announces new principal

Montini Catholic High School has announced the appointment of Chris Tiritilli as its new principal.

Tiritilli took over July 1, succeeding Kevin Beirne, who is Montini’s new president after serving five years as principal. Tiritilli had been the school’s assistant principal for student services.

“We were looking for a leader who is dynamic, visionary, energetic, strives for excellence, embodies servant leadership, and is smart, resourceful, a seasoned decision maker, connects well with students, colleagues and all stakeholder groups, and lives our Lasallian mission,” said Beirne in his letter to Montini’s entire school community announcing Tiritilli’s appointment. “It turns out we had to look no further than our assistant principal for student services to identify a candidate ideally suited to this role.”

“Tiritilli joined Montini Catholic’s leadership team in the summer of

2022 and has quickly and positively impacted our school,” added. Beirne.

“In the short time he’s been in the assistant principal role, he has completed a re-engineering of our student accommodation process and created an accommodation guide and stewarded a reimagining of the human services process such that the work of this group is more efficient and better equipped to meet student needs.

“He streamlined and standardized the course remediation program and led the design of new processes and procedures in our school counseling department. Due to his work, there’s no doubt that we are far better equipped to support our students than we were just a year ago. As important as this work has been though, he has also proven to be a student-centered leader, quickly getting to know our students and school community, embracing our mission and vision, and having an incredibly positive presence in our school.”

Prior to his work at Montini, Tiritilli served as principal at St. Mary of Gostyn School in Downers Grove for six years and Holy Family Catholic School in Bensenville for two years. He holds a bachelor’s degree

in Secondary Education from DePaul University and a masters degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Lewis University. “His passion for Catholic Education and working with young people is evident to all those who’ve had the privilege of working with him,” said Beirne. “As we look to the future, it’s clear that he is just the right leader at just the right time for our students, faculty, staff, and families. He’s proven an ideal fit for the type of Catholic, Lasallian education that makes Montini such a unique experience, while also bringing a new and fresh perspective to all that we do.”

“I am very excited and proud to accept the principal position at Montini Catholic,” said Tiritilli. “I have enjoyed the current year and have been getting to know our students, staff and community. I feel that my first year here as well as my previous experiences as a building principal will help set me up for success in my first year as principal of Montini Catholic.”

Although he enjoys working with students of all ages, Tiritilli acknowledges that his strengths and skill set

has always been best equipped to support students in the secondary setting. “Building positive relationships with students, staff and families is one of my favorite things to do as well as the most effective way to support positive and transformative change in any setting,” he said. “I have found that my natural personality and leadership style is best fit to develop these meaningful connections with students in the high school setting.”

He embraces the challenges that are sure to come his way as the principal of a Lasallian college preparatory high school.

“We will be seeking to support our new teachers and school staff, by exemplifying the high expectations we have for Montini staff members, while also providing them with the support they require to grow and develop as professional educators new to Montini,” Tiritilli said. “As much of a challenge as the above statement is, it is also something, I look forward to and am excited about, as it helps us all identify the joy that has led us to our current roles at Montini, as well as helping spread that joy to others.”

Farmer, 101 years old, still farming

By Daniel Grant FARMWEEK

It’s been quite an amazing career in agriculture for Donnie Peterson, 101, whose earliest memories include farming with horses through the Great Depression in the 1930s in western Illinois.

What’s maybe even more amazing is he’s not ready to hang up his work boots just yet. In fact, when people ask this humble centenarian who farms near Aledo (Mercer County) when he’s going to retire, he has a simple, yet straightforward, answer.

“All I’ve ever done is farm. I don’t know of any other occupation,” Peterson, who also spent some time in the service, told the RFD Radio Network during an on-farm interview just before Memorial Day.

“I don’t have hobbies; therefore, I’m still doing it,” he continued of his career in farming, which spans 11 decades counting his childhood on his family’s farm in Henderson County. “But I couldn’t do it without help.”

Peterson was born in 1921 when Woodrow Wilson was president and the price of corn averaged 98 cents per bushel that marketing year, according to USDA.

Since that time, Peterson grew up in ag and operated his own farm under 18 additional U.S. presidents, from Warren G. Harding to Joe Biden.

Corn prices throughout the veteran farmer’s life increased slowly but surely from $1.05 in 1922, $2.38 in the post-World War II boom in 1947, $3.67 in 1974, $4.58 in 1996, $7.58 in 2008 and more recently to $7.81 in May 2022—with many peaks and valleys in between.

Meanwhile, corn yield averages, which were stagnant in the 20- to 35-bushel range in the age of open-air pollinated crops from 1866 to 1930, began to improve in the late-1930s with the rapid adoption of hybrid corn.

“It was quite a different method for putting the crops in—we had horses back then,” Peterson said of the technological advances over the years. “Then we graduated up to tractors. But it’s basically the same principle putting the crops in.

“Now, with all the equipment we use, the information available and the seed is much better,” he noted. “That helps us (be more productive and efficient).”

Other crop advancements

Chris Tiritilli

DuPage County clerk receives 2023 Innovator Award

DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek recently received the 2023 Innovator Award for Elections by the International Association of Government Officials (IGO).

The Innovator Award is presented to individuals in the elections, recorders, clerks and treasurers division in honor of their unique achievements and best practices in their respective fields.

DuPage’s entry was the creation of a mail voting signature comparison procedure allowing teams of election judges to view multiple voter signatures on file instead of just one. After completing three years and six elections, there has been a notable decrease in signature challenges for mail ballots. For instance, the 2020 Primary Election saw a challenge percentage of 2.628 percent while the 2022 Primary saw a challenge percentage of 0.582 percent—a decrease of just over 77 percent.

Kaczmarek said, “Correcting challenged ballots is a time-consuming and costly process for election staff. However, our top concern is the voters themselves. Once a ballot has been mailed, no one wants to go through additional steps to fix it. Ballot signatures which are not resolved in time remain uncounted. I’m proud that DuPage County is once again leading the way to reduce voter disenfranchisement.”

In 2022, DuPage County became the first and only county in Illinois to implement “Vote Anywhere,” allowing voters to cast their ballots at any polling place on Election Day.

Election managers Stephanie Groenewold, mail voting, and Jessica Stachniak, voter registration, developed this signature comparison

project at the DuPage County Clerk’s office when mail ballots increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

That year, CARES Act funding allowed the Clerk’s office to purchase special equipment making this project possible, including a mail

sorter which took more clear pictures of voter signatures for historic reference, as well as large monitors for teams of election judges to view multiple signatures.

“This is another example of why funding elections well makes a difference,” Kaczmarek added.

PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek receives the IGO 2023 Innovator Award for Elections. Left to right, Stephanie Groenewold, mail voting manager; Jean Kaczmarek, DuPage County Clerk; and Jessica Stachniak, voter registration manager.

Hello, I would like to know if trucks are allowed in all three lanes on Route 83 or on expressways or highways. I remember back in the day when trucks used the right lane, Sometimes the middle lane but never the left lane. Lately, it seems trucks just take whatever lane they want and jack up traffic. If there’s a trucker out there, please answer. Thank you.

Editor’s note: According to ilga. gov, “The Illinois lane statute for trucks requires that a vehicle shall be driven as nearly as practicable entirely within a single lane and shall not be moved from such lane until the driver has first ascertained that such movement can be made with safety.

“Upon a 2-lane roadway, providing for 2-way movement of traffic, a vehicle shall be driven in the righthand lane available for traffic, or as close as practicable to the right hand curb or edge of the roadway, except when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction or when preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.

“Trucks must use designated lanes. If no lanes are designated, and two or three lanes are available, trucks may not use far left lane, except to pass or turn left. Must drive in right lane when driving slower than normal speed of traffic, except to pass or turn left.”

It is easy to criticize someone for personality and appearances, and not give them credit for effectiveness.

Former President Trump is a typical example. He kept us out of war by not letting our adversaries know what our next move would be, and therefore, they could not manipulate our government. We voted Trump out on emotion, and what do we have? Is our goal socialism, where everyone relies on the government? If the radicals win in 2024, our country loses. Let us modify the Democratic Party for America to stay American.

I just read a report (www.usatoday. com/story/money/2023/07/05/uspsmail-theft-check-fraud-carrier-robberies/70348511007) about rampant mail theft. According to the United States Postal Service (USPS), there were more than 25,000 reported mail thefts of high volume, including from blue collection boxes, in the first half of the current USPS fiscal year. Sending checks through the mail seems like a risky proposition. One of the tips from the USPS is to avoid dropping mail into a collection box at night; take it into a post office.

By the way, our government tells us that mail-in voting is safe and secure, and that the 2020 election, which included millions of mail-in votes, with ballots dropped in boxes in the middle of the night, was the most secure election in history. Mail thefts of high volume, including from blue collection boxes, rose from 38,500 in fiscal year 2022 to more than 25,000 in the first half of FY23, the USPS said.

* * *

With the present administration avoiding answering questions from the press, the general public, and America, it is like a ship without a rudder. No one knows where we are headed. Thank you.

* * *

Well, I see our do-nothing Congress is doing their best to protect us from the evil of the PGA. Way to go. Have those hearings. Get to the bottom of it all. Hey, don’t worry about things like gun violence, and the cost of living and weather crises all over the place. Yeah. Hit that little white ball around.

* * *

For the caller who was concerned about the pets, the noise, the fireworks and stuff, do what I used to do when I had my doggy. We hopped in the car and turned on the air conditioning, put some music on and we would just drive around on the highways and the tollways for a couple of hours. You got out of the house and you got a nice car ride out of it. It did seem to work pretty fine for us. Good luck, bye bye.

* * *

So the utilities want to raise our rates again. We need to band together, along with the Citizens Utility Board and state administration to protest, and protest loudly. I would like to make improvements to my home, but I can’t just “take” the money from someone, or I need to get a loan. But for these utilities, it seems like the bottom line is profit. And to keep that margin, they keep bleeding us dry. We all must make sacrifices, and so should these utility companies. They think just because we depend on them for gas, electricity, etc., they can just keep taking. They keep citing “infrastructure improvements.” Where I live on the northwest side of Lombard, my electricity still goes out when a squirrel sneezes, so the increases I have had to pay have not benefitted me one bit.

* * *

I heard Joe Biden say the Supreme Court is not a normal court. I could make the argument that he’s not a normal president, but that’s beside the point. Just because the court

makes decisions he doesn’t agree with, it’s somehow not normal? Boohoo, Joe. I can almost bet you and the Democrats are going to get on your soapbox again and whine about how the Supreme Court needs to be expanded because you can’t get your way in the courts.

Did you see that the investigation by the Secret Service regarding how cocaine ended up at the White House is now closed without identifying a

suspect due to a lack of physical evidence? Imagine if something like this had happened when Trump was president, and the Secret Service reached the same conclusion. The left would be having conniption fits!

I noticed the climate change experts are pulling out all the stops because parts of Arizona have been 110 degrees for several days straight. Ever hear of Death Valley in California, and how hot it gets there every

summer? I suppose they think that’s climate change, too. I heard the radio news one day refer to experts warning that if we don’t do something about climate change, Arizona will see temperatures like this more often. Let me know when hypocrites like John Kerry and JB Pritzker, start doing their part. The climate czar and the governor of Illinois both use private jets. How many metric tons of carbon have their private jets poured into the atmosphere over the years?

Implementing a natural approach to lawn care

Residential lawns consume over 2.5 billion gallons of water a year. This makes taking a natural approach to lawn care appealing for homeowners.

Also, almost 3 million tons of fertilizer are applied to residential lawns every year, and homeowners typically use three times more pesticide per acre than farmers.

There are a few simple steps that landowners can take to make more environmentally sound choices when it comes to lawn care.

Healthy soil is the foundation of natural lawn care. When you return nutrients and maintain your soil, it will ultimately lead to better lawn establishment. Performing a soil test is a good place to start. Labs can test your soil chemistry for a nominal fee, and University of Illinois Extension staff can help interpret the results. Illinois Extension’s soil testing website, extension.illinois.edu/soil/ soil-testing, also offers instructions about DIY tests that homeowners can do, including soil infiltration to gauge how well their soil drains.

A ribbon test can assess soil texture for levels of clay, sand, and silt which is important for how different plant roots access nutrients, water, and air. You can add nutrients and other amendments based on the soil test results.

Maintenance like core aeration and recycling grassing clippings will also improve your soil. Perform core aeration when lawns are actively growing, typically in May or September. Instead of bagging up grass clippings, allow them to drop in place. Recycled clippings can provide up to 25 percent of nutrient needs for the lawn and add organic matter and moisture to the soil.

In September, top-dress the lawn with compost or other organic matter. In October, mow over fallen leaves to add organic matter to the soil. While the soil is the foundation, there are other simple practices that will aid in helping the lawn grow well.

Mow high and remove no more than 1/3 of the leaf blade in one cutting. This helps to establish a deep root system and crowd out weeds. Regularly sharpen and clean your lawnmower blade.

Seed at the right time. The best time to overseed is in August, but it can also be done in May. Fill in bare spots with a 50/50 mix of soil and

compost and plant perennial grass seed species that you selected based on your site conditions. Overseeding in August helps fill in bare spots and increases turf density. Seed blends or mixtures such as tall fescue for the cool season and buffalo grass for the warm season work well. Encourage the seed to germinate by keeping it evenly moist with light watering.

Limit watering and allow your lawn to go dormant. Use water efficiently and water in the early morning. Water no more than 1 inch per week, including rainfall. A rain gauge will help determine how much water is deposited. In July, reduce watering and allow the lawn to go dormant, where it will turn brown for 4 to 6 weeks. During dormancy, limit traffic and mowing and only water a ½-inch every four weeks. If you commit to letting the lawn go dormant, do not try to increase watering. It will cause too much stress on the grass.

Accept some weeds. Monitor for weeds, but some weeds are acceptable. Clover in the lawn is beneficial for bees and makes nitrogen available in the soil. If needed, remove weeds by hand or spot-treat problematic weedy areas. Use fewer toxic

chemicals and consider natural and biological controls. Be sure to read and follow the pesticide label and note the best time of application. Monitor for pests such as weeds, diseases, and insects at least twice per month. It is important to catch pests during the initial stages of development for best control. Treat problems and not symptoms. If white grubs were a problem in the past, monitor for those in July and August. Only fertilize as needed. A soil test will help determine fertilizer needs. Fertilize medium and high-maintenance lawns in late May and again in early to mid-September. Fertilize minimal maintenance lawns from early to mid-September. Base your fertilizer program on your quality and maintenance preferences. As you implement natural lawn care methods, monitor your successes and setbacks. Take note of what needs improvement and refer to the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant lawn care calendar at LawntoLakeMidwest. org/calendar.

For more research-based information on lawn care, connect with your local Illinois Extension county office at go.illinois.edu/ExtensionOffice

SUBMITTED PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

Residential lawns consume over 2.5 billion gallons of water a year. This makes taking a natural approach to lawn care appealing for homeowners.

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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. Civil rights organization

5. Calendar month (abbr.)

8. Monetary unit of Burma

11. Twyla __, US dancer

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45. Photographers

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50. Brodway actress Daisy

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59. Nocturnal S. American rodent

60. Rusty

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62. Patti Hearst’s captors

63. Popular global holiday (abbr.)

64. Tall, slender plant

CLUES DOWN

1. Defunct US energy company

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12. Exclamation that denotes disgust

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25. Mock

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27. Chinese philosophical principle

28. Type of tree

29. Persuade to do something

34. A place for travelers to rest

35. National Gallery of Art designer

36. Panamaniaan province

37. Field force unit (abbr.)

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40. Simply

41. Nigerian City

42. Not one

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46. Manila hemp plant

47. Dough made from corn flour

48. Fishes by letting the bob fly

51. Swiss river

52. Plant that makes gum

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58. Get free of

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Burial Needs

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Weather swings impact specialty crops; peach shortage to linger

By Daniel Grant FARMWEEK

If you’re looking to order a dessert based on crop availability in Illinois this season, apple pie or strawberry shortcake should be plentiful—but there might not be as much peach cobbler on the menu.

Wild weather swings dating back to last December sapped much of the peach crop this season while apple trees at some orchards appear to be set up for a big harvest in coming months, specialty growers from around the state told FarmWeek.

“We feel like we probably have maybe 10 percent of our peach crop,” said Austin Flamm, manager of Flamm Orchards. “We feel the majority to all the damage occurred Dec. 23. We went from temperatures in the 30s to minus 5 in just eight hours with negative 25 wind chills.”

The Flamms cut thousands of buds

in January, just weeks after the farm was slammed by the Polar Vortex, and hardly found any peaches taking shape for the upcoming season.

“It’s not very often, if ever, you lose a peach crop in December like that, but that’s what we feel happened,” Flamm said. “In 2007 we had a total loss of peaches and apples. This (season) was the hardest our peaches have been hit since then.”

Rendleman Orchards in nearby Alto Pass also lost a majority of this year’s peach crop (80 to 85 percent) to the Polar Vortex in December, as previously reported in FarmWeek.

“We had no idea (the Polar Vortex) would have the severity on our peaches that it did,” said Wayne Sirles, who operates Rendleman Orchards with his wife, Michelle. “But it was too big of a temperature drop and it was too cold for too long.”

Both Sirles and Flamm believe there will be enough peaches on their farms to serve local markets. But neither farmer plans on much if any wholesale business this season due to the peach shortage.

“There are a few more peaches than we originally thought (emerging this summer),” Flamm said. “We do have a retail store where you can buy peaches and we hope to at least have enough peaches for the store. But there will probably be some days we’re out.”

Elsewhere, Hagen Family Orchard in Brussels (Calhoun County) reported cooler weather with lower humidity earlier this month could slow fruit ripening a touch. But they also plan to have peaches available for nearby markets.

“We’re still predicting to have

See WEATHER, Page 19

by mail at the special rate of $45 for a full year. ___ Yes. Please send me an eSubscription with a weekly email link for only $35 per year. Enclosed is my check for $35.

day” fund sits at nearly $2 billion.

It’s a drastic departure from 2017, when a state budget impasse between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats in the General Assembly drove the state’s backlog of unpaid bills to nearly $17 billion and depleted the rainy day fund to less than $60,000.

“All this good fiscal news did not happen by accident,” Mendoza said in a statement. “This takes strong strategic planning throughout the year and daily attention to cash management; knowing which bills to pay first to maximize federal matching funds so we can end the fiscal year on such a high note.”

Pritzker said July 7 that getting

• Farmer

bills out the door within three to five days might be “too fast” a turnaround, since they are being paid days to weeks before late-payment interest begins accruing.

“We could be earning interest on the money and wouldn’t be paying interest on that if you just extended it for a few more days,” he said. “But meanwhile, I think we should all celebrate the fact that Illinois is in such good fiscal shape.”

The General Assembly’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability—a bipartisan body staffed by nonpartisan economic analysts—noted in its June report that state coffers accumulated $407 million in interest in FY 2023. That’s up

from just $30 million in interest in FY 2022, a result of several interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

FY 2023’s revenues were also bolstered by a $1.2 billion transfer into the general revenue fund from the state’s income tax refund fund. The amount of that annual statutory transfer was driven upward by strong income tax receipts from the prior fiscal year and is unlikely to be replicated in FY 2024.

Despite setting a new base revenue record, FY 2023 saw a $1.3 billion drop-off in personal income tax receipts compared to the previous fiscal year. Corporate income tax and sales tax revenues, however, spiked by a combined $1.1 billion.

(Continued from page 12)

from page 10) that pushed yields over the years include improvements in genetics, stress tolerance and the increased adoption of nitrogen fertilizer in the 1950s to the introduction of transgenic hybrids, with insect and herbicide resistance, in the mid1990s.

Farmers have also refined and improved farming practices and management styles over the years.

“We did a lot more tillage on the ground when I started than we do now,” Peterson said.

“And the size of the units has changed. It takes less time (for

LEGAL NOTICES

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

THE VILLAGE OF BENSENVILLE, DuPAGE COUNTY, ILLINOIS, will receive sealed bids for the 2023 MFT PAVEMENT PATCHING PROGRAM

(MAINTENANCE SECTION 23-0000002-GM) until Eleven A.M. (11:00 A.M.) (prevailing time), August 1, 2023 at the office of the Municipal Clerk in the Village Hall, 12 South Center Street, in the Village of Bensenville, Illinois, at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

The contract documents, including plans and specifications are on file at the office of the Owner, Village of Bensenville – Department of Public Works, 717 E Jefferson Street, Bensenville, Illinois 60106, (630) 350-3435.

Copies of the bid documents may be obtained from the Village of Bensenville website https://www.bensenville.il.us/bids.aspx by emailing your request to Jeff Maczko, Village Engineer, at jmaczko@bensenville. il.us along with a copy of the Contractor’s current “Certificate of Eligibility” issued by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Contractor documents will be provided as a PDF at no charge to eligible prospective bidders.

A bid bond, certified check, bank draft or irrevocable letter of credit on a solvent bank, payable to the Village of Bensenville, or cash in an amount of not less than five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid shall be submitted with each bid.

The successful bidder will be required to furnish a satisfactory performance bond in the amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract sum as a security for the faithful performance of the Contract and also a Payment Bond in the amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Sum as a security for the payment of all persons performing labor on the Project under the Contract and furnishing materials in connection of the Contract. The successful bidder shall also furnish a Certificate of Insurance. No bid shall be withdrawn after opening of bids without the consent of said Municipality for a period of sixty (60) days after the scheduled time of opening bids.

The Village of Bensenville reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any informalities in bidding and to accept the bid deemed most advantageous to it, all in accordance with the standard specifications.

(Published in the Addison Independent, Bensenville Independent & Villa Park Review July 20, 2023) 441187

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

THE VILLAGE OF BENSENVILLE, DuPAGE COUNTY, ILLINOIS, will receive sealed bids for the 2023 MFT SIDEWALK REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT PROGRAM (MAINTENANCE

SECTION 23-00000-01-GM) until Eleven A.M. (11:00 A.M.) (prevailing time), August 1, 2023 at the office of the Municipal Clerk in the Village Hall, 12 South Center Street, in the Village of Bensenville, Illinois, at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

The contract documents, including plans and specifications are on file at the office of the Owner, Village of Bensenville – Department of Public Works, 717 E Jefferson Street, Bensenville, Illinois 60106, (630) 350-3435.

Copies of the bid documents may be obtained from the Village of Bensenville website https://www.bensenville.il.us/bids.aspx by emailing your request to Jeff Maczko, Village Engineer, at jmaczko@bensenville. il.us along with a copy of the Contractor’s current “Certificate of Eligibility” issued by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Contractor documents will be provided as a PDF at no charge to eligible prospective bidders.

A bid bond, certified check, bank draft or irrevocable letter of credit on a solvent bank, payable to the Village of Bensenville, or cash in an amount of not less than five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid shall be submitted with each bid.

The successful bidder will be required to furnish a satisfactory performance bond in the amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract sum as a security for the faithful performance of the Contract and also a Payment Bond in the amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Sum as a security for the payment of all persons performing labor on the Project under the Contract and furnishing materials in connection of the Contract. The successful bidder shall also furnish a Certificate of Insurance. No bid shall be withdrawn after opening of bids without the consent of said Municipality for a period of sixty (60) days after the scheduled time of opening bids.

The Village of Bensenville reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any informalities in bidding and to accept the bid deemed most advantageous to it, all in accordance with the standard specifications.

fieldwork) now.”

Just last year, Illinois farmers set new state yield records of 214 bushels per acre for corn and 79 bushels for wheat. In Mercer County, farmers averaged a whopping 226.6 bushels per acre for corn and 65 bushels for soybeans in 2022.

Looking back, Peterson has fond memories of raising sheep and training horses back when he was in 4-H.

But his formative years were also some of his most difficult times living through the Great Depression. The bright side of operating a farm at that time is there was at least enough food to eat on most days.

“Living on a farm we had things—foodwise,” Peterson said of the Great Depression. “But the money situation was bad.

“It was difficult to have money to do anything, so we stayed home most of the time,” he continued. “It was pretty tough getting through that period.”

Peterson encourages other farmers to embrace new technology and farming methods, but to make sure to research the best ideas for each individual farm. He remains an avid reader and mostly enjoys farm publications.

“I like to read a lot,” he said. “There’s always something new coming along.”

He also owns his own cellphone but comes from a generation in which he prefers doing business with a handshake.

“I have a cellphone, but I seldom use it,” he said. “I don’t like to do business on the phone.”

Peterson joined the Mercer County Farm Bureau in 1972 which, along with Illinois Farm Bureau, was founded in 1916.

As for advice or tips for a long life, Peterson said there are no magic bullets.

He just tries to give his best each day and hopes for a little luck along the way.

“Live your life as you can and go along,” he added. “You don’t know what will happen.”

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

(Continued from page

agency reported to the state in June that Illinois saw 111.3 million visitors who spent $44.3 billion in calendar year 2022. Calendar year 2019, the highest year on record for both measures, saw 122.8 million visitors who spent a combined $45.5 billion. The hotel industry as well has not fully recovered from the pandemic’s tourism industry interruptions.

Michael Jacobson, president of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association, said that while revenues have returned, staffing levels and occupancy rates overall have not yet reached pre-pandemic levels, although they were trending toward recovery. “We look forward to returning to our place as one of the most significant economic engines, employers and taxpayers in the state,” Jacobson said on Monday.

• Tornadoes

The state has made some significant investments in tourism in the past few years, including the $30.3 million “Middle of Everything” ad campaign. The campaign, which launched in the spring of 2022, stars television actress and Illinois native Jane Lynch.

The campaign’s first year brought in an additional 2 million visitors and generated $1 billion in Illinois hotels, restaurants, small businesses, and attractions, according to the state’s tourism office. The campaign recently launched a new set of TV ads this summer that feature the television star.

“Being able to share my passion for all things Illinois comes naturally, and getting to meet and work with so many inspiring people and unique businesses across the state is an honor,” Lynch said in a news release.

(Continued from page 6)

were the Sinnott Tree Service building and the Skyline Motel, which had its roof torn off. The owner of the motel was quoted as saying “the entire place is ruined.” Both businesses are located in McCook.

A confirmed EF-1 tornado near Algonquin and Reed roads in Huntley resulted in trees down and damage to homes. Also at that same time, a suspected tornado uprooted trees and blew off roofs near Joliet and La Grange roads in Countryside.

A suspected tornado was reported near South Elgin, with large trees 20 inches in diameter down and damage reported to homes west of Elgin and northeast of Campton Hills.

There was a confirmed EF-0 tornado in Carol Stream, with a report of numerous trees down between Kuhn Road at Deerskin Trail, and Gary Avenue and Elk Trail. There also were reports of trees snapped and debris lofted. Carol Stream Village Manager Bob Mellor told the Daily Herald that downed trees struck a garage and a house near

Western Trails Elementary School. At around 7 p.m., a confirmed EF-0 tornado touched down near O’Hare Airport, causing the disruption of hundreds of flights with passengers taking shelter. Warehouses were reported damaged on the west side of O’Hare. Hundreds of flights were cancelled at both O’Hare and Midway airports.

More storms Friday, July 14

Parts of the area experienced additional thunderstorms Friday night, July 14, which brought strong winds, downpours and one tornado. The tornado, confirmed in the Warrenville-Glen Ellyn area, was an EF-0 with estimated peak winds of 75 mph, according to the NWS. Its path length was 8.8 miles and had a width of 400 yards.

Damage along the path of the tornado consisted primarily of downed and snapped tree branches, the NWS reported.

So far this year, Illinois has had more tornadoes than any other state, according to the NWS.

Donnie Peterson, 101, poses on his Mercer County Farm.

Barry Cloyd Other Worldy Adventure concert July 28

The Lombard Historical Society welcomes Barry Cloyd as he presents his Other Worldly Adventure, “Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, the Birth of Sci-Fi and the First Citizens of the Future,” in concert at 7 p.m. Friday, July 28, in the William J. Mueller Gazebo at 23 W. Maple St. in Lombard.

Please bring a chair. This is a free outdoor concert. Tickets are suggested and available on the website: LombardHistory.org.

For more information about this event, or the Lombard Historical Society, visit lombardhistory.org, email info@lombardhistory.org, or phone 630-629-1885.

Be prepared for stories and songs,

• Weather

some original, some you might remember, and some just plain strange, as Barry Cloyd brings to life the world created by the minds behind what we now just call sci-fi—the minds of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells.

Cloyd will also bring along some unusual instruments and include a few songs for encouraging the audience to step outside gravity’s pull and suspend disbelief; songs such as David Bowie’s “A Space Oddity” and Zager & Evans “In The Year 2525,” will be teleported into the ether for the audience to enjoy.

Cloyd is a Midwestern based, touring singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, performing over 200

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tree-ripened peaches anywhere from the Fourth of July to July 15,” Hagen Family Orchard noted on its business line phone message. “Keep checking in. We’re anxious to see all our customers.”

Meanwhile, Eckerts Orchards reported you-pick opportunities exist for black raspberries and peaches at its farm, but peaches likely will be available in only its store at the Belleville location.

On the other hand, apple trees seemed to fare much better so far this year at many locations in the state.

“Our apples look really good. We’ve got a big crop setting up on most of our farm,” Flamm said. “We

had one farm with hail damage, but it’s a small percentage of our entire crop.”

Sirles also expects a bountiful apple harvest at Rendleman Orchards.

“We have a wonderful apple crop—one of the best blossoms we’ve had in a long time,” he said. “We’re really looking forward to that (with harvest expected to begin in August).”

Strawberries are also overflowing this season at Flamm Orchards, where harvest of that crop is winding down.

“We’re still picking strawberries,” Flamm said as of June 20. “That season has been really good. We put

shows per year, who has spent a lifetime creating a performance style that weaves the genres of Blues, Folk, Celtic, Original and Roots music into a unique blend all his own.

A strong vocalist as well as a storyteller, theatrical performer and historian, Cloyd delivers his music on a multitude of guitars (6 and 12 string, Dobro, high-strung, etc.) and other stringed instruments, such as a 5-string banjo, mandolin, requinto and bouzouki.

Honored by Chicago’s Millennium Park with inclusion as part of their series, “Great Performers of Illinois”, Barry is also a member of the Illinois Arts Council ArtsTour Roster.

in extra acres this year to meet demand.”

Flamm Orchards grows its strawberries on raised beds with drip irrigation.

“The dryness (in recent weeks) is actually good for the berries,” Flamm said.

Sirles said the flower fields at Rendleman Orchards, where they grow sunflowers and mums, also got off to a good start this season.

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

FALL BASEBALL - and - SOFTBALL REGISTRATIONS

Elmhurst Youth Baseball & EYB Cougars Softball House League registration is NOW OPEN! Register NOW to be a part of the fastest growing baseball & softball program in the Western Suburbs!

The Fall Baseball and Softball Leagues are a non-competitive league focused on training and player development. It is a 5 or 6 week program scheduled to start in September and conclude in October with all practices and games taking place on the weekends.

Games are scheduled for each Saturday with practice prior to each game. If there is a rain-out then the game/practice may be rescheduled for Sunday.

Elmhurst Youth Baseball is open to boys and girls ages 4 to 19.

The EYB Cougars softball program is open to girls ages 4 to 14.

Fall ball allows for players to begin practicing and playing in divisions that they may qualify for in the following Spring season or to continue their development in the divisions they currently compete.

REGISTRATION FOR THE FALL BALL SEASON IS OPEN!

Register at eybaseball.org

SUBMITTED PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

Barry Cloyd brings to life the world created by the minds behind what we now call sci-fi—the minds of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells— through stories and songs on Friday, July 28, at the William J. Mueller Gazebo.

Board of Directors

George F. Hammersmith, Jr. Chairman of the Board

Fran Marcucci Decker Gonnella Baking Co.

Joshua Bretl FSR Wealth Strategies

Richard W. Reichert President & C.E.O.

Ken Bartels Sr. Vice President

Maryann Gorski

Martha Hammersmith-Delgado

Dr. Lawrence B. Carroll Elmhurst University