Around and About in West Chicago - 26 Mar 2008

     With his goal of recognizing the valuable contributions of the local service clubs and organizations to the community, Mayor Michael Kwasman is asking representatives of the clubs to speak at City Council meetings.

     At the March 17 meeting, John Vires, president of the West Chicago Lions Club, gave a brief presentation of the club’s history, activities and objectives. The club was established here in 1960 with “25 charter members and one is still a member.” Currently, there are 50 members, a 20 percent growth in the last year. Meetings are the first and third Thursdays of each month at the Methodist church with lunch, a short business meeting and usually a featured speaker.

     Major fundraisers are the fall and spring pancake breakfast, “serving around 400 to 500 persons, Candy Day and as one of the not-for-profit groups helping at the Railroad Days Beer tent.” Part of the monies raised are used for sight and hearing impaired persons. Helen Keller referred to the Lions Clubs as the Knights to the Blind, Vires explained. The club donates funds to the Moms in School program and the local food bank, plus takes part in the city’s Adopt-A-Highway program. One of the largest projects the club undertook recently was the restoration of the Sailors and Soldiers Monument at Oakwood Cemetery. At the start of each school year, the Lions Club hosts the New Teachers Luncheon. Kwasman said, “The Club has many hardworking men and women who have built up a good and giving relationship with the community.”

     Speakers at the Lions Club meetings give presentations on a variety of subjects. The Lions Club March 20 program focused on an issue that is of concern to many in the area—the proposed purchase of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company by Canadian National Railroad. The speaker was Jim Kvedaras from CN. The National Surface Transportation Board held seven scoping meetings for the Environmental Impact Statement. In West Chicago, the forum was held Jan. 17. The board received approximately 3,000 comments from the public and is currently working to fully consider them in the final Scope of Study.

     Kvedaras explained that upon completion of the review, the board would issue a Scoping report and a Draft detailing any conditions that need to be imposed for the approval of the acquisition. He said CN has been meeting with the elected officials and staff of the 33 communities that would be affected by the purchase. He said one concern mentioned was what effect this would have on the STAR line and CN would cooperate with Metra to see if could find a way to coexist, such as a possibility of increasing up to three rails.

     He explained the CN purchase would help alleviate the chronic congestion that exists today in the Chicago railway hub, using a convenient and underutilized rail line and thus creating an efficient infrastructure for the conveyance of moving products of CN’s customers. “Time saved is money earned.” A concern voiced by some club members was not only the increase of the amount of trains from about 10 to 31 per day, but also the length of the trains. Kvedaras said the trains, traveling at minimum speed of 45 mph would only block a grade crossing for about three minutes. Kwasman questioned what would happen after the three-year projection. “It depends on the reality of the growth of the market. The number could shift dramatically or remain the same,” said Kvedaras.

AROUND AND ABOUT

     The Garden Club’s meeting is Thursday, March 27, at Faith Community Church, 910 Main St. Sharing time is at 6:45 p.m., brief business meeting at 7:15 and the program at 7:30 p.m. The speaker, Marci Stewart Pyziak, discusses ornamental grasses for the landscape. Pyziak often is called the Garden Tutor. She teaches gardening and horticultural classes throughout the Chicagoland area, including the Morton Arboretum and the Chicago Botanical Gardens.

     Do not miss out on the opportunity to take the Friends of the West Chicago City Museum and West Chicago Park District bus trip to visit the Chicago History Museum, Saturday, April 5. The bus leaves at 9 a.m. and returns around 3 p.m. The main attraction of the journey is the guided tour of the new “Chicago: Crossroads of America” exhibit. Other opportunities are viewing four other featured exhibits, climbing aboard the Pioneer engine and/or dining at the Wolfgang Puck restaurant. The cost is $25 for Friends members, $27 for senior citizens and students and $30 for adults. Reservations are required by Friday, March 28, and may be made by calling the park district at (630) 231-9474.

     Another sign that Spring is here begins with the collection of Yard waste material Tuesday, April 1, on regularly scheduled garbage collection days. The yard waste must be disposed of in a Kraft paper bag and have a sticker. Now all we need is the nice weather so we can work in our gardens and yards.

     The Library’s program at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 2, focuses on the book and movie, “The Secret.” Tammy Cook, a Free Speech Speakers Bureau presenter, is the featured speaker. To make a reservation, call the adult services department at (630) 231-1552, Ext. 4.

     Well-known artist Wayne Atkinson is holding a watercolor workshop from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 5, at Gallery 200, 200 Main St. The price is $15. To sign up for the class call the Gallery at (630) 293-9550.

     There is still time to sign up to be a crafter/vendor at Blooming Fest, Saturday, May 17. For further information, call Krista Coltrin at City Hall, (630) 293-2200, Ext. 135.

     Sixty-four high school students were inducted into the French, German and Spanish National Honor Societies March 4. Membership in these honor societies represents outstanding achievement in at least two years of study in a foreign language, academic excellence in all other classes and the intent to continue the study of a foreign language. The guest speaker was Sarah Meyerholtz, a graduate of the high school and a Congress-Bundestag Scholar.

     New members of the Societe Honoraire de Francias are Martha Jimenez, Natalya Kovalchuk, Brendan McCormack, Rachel Molinaro, Megan Ogorzalek, and Chonlawat Sermsil.

     In Delta Epsilon Phi, the German National Honor Society, the new members are Kyle Blenkle, Michael Boegelein, Fatima Selene Correa, Isabel Correa, Elizabeth Fortner, Joe Grotto, Mike Guevara, Thomas Harms, Nicholas Hawco, William Heinze, Jessica Kassanits, Mary Murphy, Amanda Rathe, Kevin Szul, Alexander Tirabasso and Kyle Wolf.

     New members of the la Sociedad Honoria Hispanica are Jessica Baids, Jenna Bossle, Tyler Christ, Renee Cirone, Mary Connolly, Shelby Copple, Jaclyn Coughlan, Kristin Day, Chad Driscoll, Anna Duran, Annette Eichenberger, Kelsey Fiegle, Jason Foreman, Angela Gentile, Jennifer Goldsmith, Emily Hahn, Anthony Hasbun, David Hiltner, Rebecca Howe, Tomas Kaczmarczyk, Jillian Macrito, Caitlyn Madsen, Denis Mahmic, Danielle McAvoy, Emily Nash, Courtney Nesemeier, Brittany Parisi, Mayuri Parmar, Devan Patel, Jamie Roman, Steven Romanelli, Peter Rubino, Brodie Ruman, Thomas Sanders, Lanie Sikorski, Brent Smith, Tanya Starkey, Alyson Taddeucci, Connie Tan, Amanda Tennis and Madeline Warkins.

     Teachers in the World Languages Division are Division Head Janelle Stefancic, Sarah Bellis, Susan Junkroski, Beth Govertsen, Karin Sammons, Lindsey Evans, Jane Kukovec, Terry Mitchell Strohm and Dr. Lucinda Sanders.

     St. Mary’s Parish School is holding its first alumni reunion Sunday, May 18. The honored guest is Gus Kimball, who has volunteered his service as the school athletic director for more than 40 years. The committee is asking for alumni to register their contact information on the school Web site, www.stmarywc.org. For further information, call Pamela Doll at (630) 562-9660 or Rosemary Meindl in the school office at (630) 231-1776.

     The chamber is “fore–casting” a great networking opportunity with the start of a Golf League this summer. Tee time for the nine-hole league begins at 4 p.m. every other Thursday at St. Andrew Country Club. The league is open only to chamber members—an extra bonus of belonging to the chamber. The fee is $22 per game. For more information, call Wade Meyer at (630) 308-7119 or the chamber at (630) 231-3003.

     At a recent meeting of the West Chicago Rotary Club, Rose Kuntze, wife of Rotary Club member Wayne, described her participation in a recent Rotary Club-sponsored trip to Guatemala. Through the video presentation and brief talk, she highlighted the lush beauty of the land, the challenges for the students, the cooperative spirit of the visiting team, but also mentioned the downside of the country’s lack of medical care and the problem in drug dealing and sales, leading to safety concerns.  The thirty-four persons traveling to assist in the AK Tenamit project involving two schools were not traveling lightly. Much of the luggage was filled with donations for the youths, plus tools for working on various tasks.

The West Chicago Rotary Club donated $250, which was used to purchase such items as backpacks and school supplies. “The children worked to earn these gifts. The founder, Steve Dudenhofer, believes is it is better that they earn them rather than just receiving as a gift,” explained Rose. The goal of the foundation is to have the people in this area be self-sustaining. Dr. Richard Smith, dentist is West Chicago donated toothpaste and toothbrushes, “which were greatly appreciated.”

     The members were divided into four teams for various projects of painting and staining, installing bat netting, building bunk beds and providing medical exams and care. To arrive at their work destination each of the five days was no easy trek. Leaving their hotel in Livingston, the teams traveled by boat for about 45 minutes, disembarked and then walked uphill for thirty minutes. “While we were there, the temperature was in the 80s and no rain, making it pleasant-not hot and humid.”

     The mesh wire netting was installed to prevent bats from entering the dormitories at night and biting the youths. “I was on the team assembling bunk beds. The beds were not kits, so we had to do some sawing, hammering and put together with nuts and bolts. We managed to put together 50.” Many of the persons the medical team was examining “never had physicals before. Major health issues are due to respiratory problems.”

     There are 450 students attending the two schools, one for boys and one for girls. The youths work to help pay for their education. This involves helping in the kitchen, cleaning and assisting with other tasks, Rose explained. In addition to the basic education of reading, math and writing, the students learn other skills. “School is year round, three months at school and 2 weeks at home,” she said. While at home, the youths teach parents and siblings some of the things they learned. Upon graduation, they have sustainable abilities in fields of agriculture, tourism, crafts and medicine.

     Rose also explained that the group had an assigned security guard and he was with them from the time they left the hotel in Livingston until they returned back there at the end of the working day. This was due to the “dangerous transactions of the drug dealers.” This negative aspect was small compared to the benefit team members derived. When asked if she would go back here, Rose responded, “Definitely, at the drop of a hat!”

     Pioneer School principal Gloria Trejo was the featured principal in the March 18 issue of the Daily Herald.