Downers Grove Community News

Familiar Foe Awaits Downers South in Second Round

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:42:00 +0000

With a trip to Bolingbrook for Saturday’s 6 p.m. second-round Class 8A playoff game, Downers Grove South’s football team will have faced the Raiders more than any other opponent in the state since the 2007 season.
And if recent meetings are any indicator, a close game can be expected.

The Mustangs edged Bolingbrook 10-7 in the 2007 season opener, but the last two games have narrowly gone the Raiders’ way.
Bolingbrook (10-1) opened this season with a 16-14 win over Downers South (8-2), and also edged the Mustangs 21-20 in the 2008 opener.
“As a senior, this is my final chance to beat them, so it means a lot to us,” said Downers South linebacker Dan Miller. “This is what we were planning for.” (More)

Source: fnl.mysuburbanlife.com

District 58 Makes the Grade With AYP Standards

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:39:00 +0000

Downers Grove Grade School District 58 was only 8 percent away from having every student in the district making adequate yearly progress.

Marybeth Webeler, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said the district is pleased with the results and will continue to work on weaker areas to keep high scoring on exams.

“I feel incredibly proud of the children in the district and the very strong performance,” Webeler said. “We have 92 percent of our students meeting and exceeding (state requirements).”

To improve education for students in District 58, Webeler said each year staff looks at each area being assessed, whether it counts toward making adequate yearly progress or not, and develops goals for improvement. (More)

Source: Downers Grove Reporter

Another Home Granted Historic Landmark Status

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:11:00 +0000

The Downers Grove Village Council has unanimously approved the home at 4943 Highland Ave. as a historic landmark during Tuesday’s, April 21, meeting.

This is the second home in Downers Grove to seek the designation under the village’s the Historic Preservation Ordinance.

The homeowner, Lea Wayne, requested the property be designated a historic landmark for several reasons including one of its former residents, Gustav H. Bunge. (More)

Source: Downers Grove Reporter

Village Gears up for Restaurant Week

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:07:00 +0000

The Downers Grove Hospitality Alliance and the Economic Development Corp. are sponsoring Downers Grove Restaurant Week 2009 from April 26 to May 2.

The event will feature 18 of the Downers Grove Hospitality Alliance members which will offer promotions through out the week.

Each restaurant will offer its own menus that include three-course meals and dinner for two among more.

Reservations are not required, but are encouraged. To view a list of the participating restaurants and their promotional menus, visit dineindownersgrove.com.

For more information, contact Cindy Klima, director of marketing and tourism for the EDC, at (630) 729-0380.

Source: Downers Grove Reporter

‘Anything Goes’ to Take Stage at Downers South

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:11:00 +0000

Students at Downers Grove South High School will perform “Anything Goes” as the spring musical Thursday to Sunday, April 16 to 19.

Shows are at 7 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $8 for adults; $7 for students and admission for senior citizens is free.

The students in the cast and crew are lead by drama directors Chris Blum and Jason Jaffe. Music is directed by Joy Belt-Roselieb and the pit orchestra is directed by Craig Roselieb. Nancy Bocek choreographed the show. Hunter Evans is the tech director and costume design was done by Holley McKee.

To reserve tickets, call the Student Activities office at (630) 795-8518. The high school is located at 1436 Norfolk St.

Source: Downers Grove Reporter

Good Sam Makes List of Top Hospitals for First Time

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:00:00 +0000

For the first time in Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital’s history, the Downers Grove facility was listed in a recently released report of top 100 hospitals.

Good Sam also was named one of the top 20 large community hospitals in the nation in the 2008 Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals: National Benchmarks Study. (More)

Source: Downers Grove Reporter

Local Humane Society to Hold Upcoming Events

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:32:00 +0000

Adoptions by the numbers

In 2008, the West Suburban Humane Society, 1901 Ogden Ave., Downers Grove, adopted out 448 dogs and 277 cats. Executive Director Carolyn Mossberger said animals generally come to the humane society through animal control centers, “owner give-ups” and the society also takes its own animals back if an adoption doesn’t work out. To contact the society, call (630) 960-9600. Or visit wshs-dg.org. (More)

Source: Downers Grove Reporter

Firefighters Endorse Three For Village Council

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:43:00 +0000

The Downers Grove Professional Firefighters Association has announced its endorsements of candidates running for seats on the Village Council.

Candidates Robert Barnett, Marilyn Schnell and William Waldack were selected by the group following their responses to a questionnaire from the DGPFA Political Education Committee. (More)

Source: Downers Grove eporter

Downers Grove Police Department Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:38:00 +0000

One of the top priorities identified by the Village Council for 2009 was Facilities Planning, including design, funding, and public education.

The purpose of the Downers Grove Police Department Tour video is to provide information about existing conditions within the Police Station. The current building poses significant challenges regarding the space and security needs required by modern law enforcement.

Public Information Manager Marion Heintz narrates the tour and describes the challenges associated with the building.

Source: Village of Downers Grove

Yard Waste Collection Begins April 1

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 15:58:00 +0000

Yard waste collection begins April 1st and continues through the last collection day of December (to be determined for 2009).

For more information and collection guidelines, visit the Yard Waste and Leaf Collection page.

Source: Village of Downers Grove

Park Board to Create Pool Committee Once Site is Public Knowledge

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:08:00 +0000

The Downers Grove Park Board will develop another new pool committee, but only after an aquatic site or sites are disclosed publicly.

That motion, prepared by Commissioner Cathy Mahoney, narrowly passed 3-2 during Thursday’s Park Board meeting.

Mahoney said the board will continue to examine potential locations as they arise, but following a timeline for choosing sites is not practical. (More)

Source: Downers Grove Reporter

Residents are Standing on Both Sides of Sidewalks

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:18:00 +0000

Some residents in the northeast corner of Downers Grove have found themselves walking in different directions when it comes to sidewalk construction.

Sixth Street resident Cheryl Popielarz has lived in the village for about four years. She and her husband chose the neighborhood because of its rural appeal.

During the March 17 Downers Grove Village Council meeting, Popielarz said she became aware of the sidewalk matrix a couple years ago, which resulted out of the Total Community Development Two process in the mid-1990s. (More)

Source: Downers Grove Reporter

District 99 Candidates to Appear at Forum

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:04:00 +0000

A candidate forum for the Community High School District 99 Board of Education will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Downers Grove North High School, 4436 Main St.

The forum is hosted by the Downers Grove North High School Parent’s Club.

The League of Women Voters will moderate the forum.

The candidates running for four open seats are Julia Kennedy Beckman, Allyn Barnett, Deborah Boyle, Alex Leventis, Terry Pavesich and Bill White.

The forum is open to the public and will take place in the school’s choir room.

Source: Downers Grove Reporter

Council Discusses New Police Station, Maintaining Current Village Hall

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:01:00 +0000

The Downers Grove Village Council is discussing the possibility of building a new $33.5 million police station.

Village officials discussed a motion prepared by village staff at its March 24 council meeting.

The motion sets a timeline of three to five years, if the village’s financial situation allows, to build a 70,000 square-foot, $33.5 million new police station in the western commuter lot of the Village Hall/Civic Center property, 801 Burlington Ave.

The recommendation also calls for the village to maintain the existing Village Hall facility for at least 10 more years. Any major system maintenance or repair should not exceed $500,000 during that time period.

The Village Council is expected to vote on this motion at its next meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. April 7 at Village Hall.

Source: Downers Grove Reporter

Registration Open For District 58 Leap Into Kindergarten Program

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:32:00 +0000

Downers Grove Grade School District 58 will offer Leap into Kindergarten summer sessions and registration is open.

The three-week programs are offered to incoming kindergarten students to work on reading and math activities and fine motor skills. Classes will be held at Hillcrest School, 1435 Jefferson Ave.

Sessions will take place from 8:15 to 11:30 a.m. June 9 to 12, June 15 to 19 and June 22 to 26.

The last day to register is May 8 and space is limited. The cost is $95.

Registration forms are available at dg58.org or by calling (630) 719-5820.

The completed registration form and payment should be dropped off or mailed to District 58 summer school, c/o Belle Aire School, 3935 Belle Aire Lane, Downers Grove, IL 60515.

For more information, call Linda Jennings at (630) 719-5820.

Source: Downers Grove Reporter

Garbage Stickers to Increase as Part of Waste Contract

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:42:00 +0000

The issue

The end of the month will mark one year since the village switched from Allied Waste and entered into a three-year solid waste removal contract with ARC Disposal and Recycling Inc. According to the village, ARC collects waste from about 14,000 households in Downers Grove. During the March 10 Village Council meeting, village staff presented an informational update about the status of the services provided by ARC.

What we knew

A few months into the transition, residents voiced some concerns including trash escaping from the trucks and missed pick-ups. Since then, ARC retrofitted the trucks to contain the waste. Also, truck drivers are required to come to a full stop when depositing trash into the truck. According to the village, some missed pick-ups were resulting from neighborhood construction. The village is modifying its internal communication process so that everyone is notified of construction and pickups are maintained. (More)

Source: Downers Grove Reporter

Early Voting

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:21:00 +0000

The Village of Downers Grove will be an early voting site for the April 7, 2009 Consolidated Election. Early voting will take place Monday, March 16, 2009 through Thursday, April 2, 2009 in the Committee Room at Village Hall, 801 Burlington Avenue.

The hours for early voting will be:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Early voting provides citizens the opportunity to vote before Election Day, at their convenience. Unlike absentee voting, one does not need a reason to vote early. If you are a registered voter in DuPage County, you may early vote at Village Hall.

Please contact the DuPage County Election Commission at (630) 407-5600 or Village Clerk April Holden at (630) 434-5535 for further information about early voting.

Unclaimed Property Auction

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:25:00 +0000

The Downers Grove Police Department will be using the website Property Room.com to sell unclaimed property and surplus items. The following items will be posted on Property Room after March 23, 2009.

If you believe that any of the listed items are rightfully yours to be claimed, please contact Property Control Officer Dru Ingram at (630) 434-5637 prior to March 23. (More)

Source: Village of Downers Grove

District 58 Promotes Two to New Roles

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 12:25:00 +0000

Two existing Downers Grove Grade School District 58 faculty members have been promoted to positions within the district.

The Board of Education voted Monday to make Lester School Principal Jayne Yudzentis the assistant superintendent for personnel and staff development.

Jason Lynde will step up from assistant principal to principal at Herrick Middle School.

Yudzentis began her career in education in 1990 as a middle school math teacher. She has been principal at Lester for six years. Prior to that, she served as assistant principal at Herrick for two years. (More)

Source: Downers Grove Reporter

Downers Grove Cares to Host Another Forum

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 14:14:00 +0000

Downers Grove Cares will host a District 58 Board of Education candidate forum at 7 p.m. March 19 in the lower level of the Moose Lodge, 1030 Warren Ave.

Candidates running for the Downers Grove Grade School District 68 board include John Cooper, Stephen Funk, Mary Jo Kominkiewicz, Gary Lester, Sallie Ann Moutvic Lupescu and Todd Krause will answer questions.

Downers Grove Cares has previously endorsed Cooper, Funk, Lester and Lupescu. Information about the candidates, including videos, are available at the group’s Web site, dgcares.org.

Source: Downers Grove Reporter

Police Increase Patrols to Catch Drunk Drivers Over Holiday

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:12:00 +0000

The Downers Grove Police Department is currently conducting special patrols for the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day weekend to catch drunk drivers.

“We are reminding everyone that if you drink and drive in Downers Grove this St. Patrick’s Day, you lose,” Police Chief Robert Porter said in a written statement. “If you plan on drinking alcohol, designate a sober driver before the party begins. Be responsible or risk a DUI. Too often, St. Patrick’s Day can be a deadly and dangerous time on our roads because of impaired driving.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 851 people have died in motor vehicle crashes over the past five St. Patrick’s Day holidays. Of those incidents, 327 people were killed in crashes that involved a drunk driver.

One death resulted from a drunk driver on St. Patrick’s Day last year in Illinois, according to the state’s Department of Transportation.

The legal state limit for blood alcohol concentration in Illinois is .08.

St. Patrick’s Day is Tuesday, March 17.

Rotary Accepting Applications for Scholarship

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:15:00 +0000

The Rotary Club of Downers Grove is accepting applications for its annual “Charles Dickerman Music Scholarship.”

The $2,000 scholarship will be awarded to a high school senior in the Community High School District 99 attendance area.

Dickerman was a founding member of the Rotary Club. He died in 2007. Dickerman had a degree in music and played the bagpipes. He worked as a nuclear engineer at Argonne National Laboratory.

Scholarship candidates must participate in music activities in high school or extracurricular music activities.

The application can be downloaded from dgrotary.org.

Applications must be postmarked by March 31 and mailed to Rotary Club of Downers Grove, Attn: Music Scholarship, P.O. Box 256, Downers Grove, IL 60515.

Source: Downers Grove Reporter

Officer Recognized as ‘Hero’

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:05:00 +0000

A local police officer gave a man another chance at life in the parking lot of a Downers Grove fast food restaurant last year.

Officer Jay Johnson, 32, responded to Burger King, 1540 Butterfield Road, used an automated external defibrillator to save Bolingbrook resident Karl Staehlin, who suffered a heart attack.

Johnson said when he arrived, off-duty firefighters Ray Marquardt, of the Orland Park Fire Protection District, and Kevin Sievert, of the Lisle-Woodridge Fire District, were performing CPR on Staehlin, who did not have a pulse. (More)

Source: Downers Grove Reporter

Museum to Host Book Discussion For Women’s History Month

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:33:00 +0000

The Downers Grove Park District Museum will recognize March as Women’s History Month with a discussion based on Karen Abbott’s book, “Sin and the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys & the Battle for America’s Soul.”

The selection is the featured read for the third annual Historic Book Club selection with the Park District.

“The book is the true story of two sisters who ran the world’s most famous brothel in Chicago,” Abbott said. “They are haled as part of Women’s History Month because they are some of the first women entrepreneurs.” (More)

Source: Downers Grove Reporter

Mullins Nets Academic All-American Honor

noreply@blogger.com (Phil De Rosa) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:10:00 +0000

For the third year in a row and just the fifth time in school history, the Saluki men's basketball team has an Academic All-American.

Senior guard Bryan Mullins was named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America first team on Wednesday. In 2008, Mullins was a second-team Academic All-American, and so was Jamaal Tatum in 2007. Mike Glenn was a first teamer in 1976 and 1977. (More)

Source: Downers Grove Reporter