Volume XVII

Sorry for the long delay between updates.

Update on the Wal-Mart Move

Wal-Mart has resubmitted updated plans to the City of St. Charles to relocate their store to the 30 acre lot situated between Smith Road, Foxfield, the east side of the Charlestown Mall and the Cornerstone Lakes neighborhood. The plan will include a 24 hour, 226,000 square foot building with 979 parking spaces, a tire and lube express shop, and drive-thru pharmacy window. The City of West Chicago is looking for feedback on this proposal. Please send along any questions or comments to Alderman Fuesting or me and we will share them with the West Chicago and St. Charles City Councils.

The public hearing for the Wal-Mart move will be Monday October 30, at 7:00 PM at the Hilton Garden Inn (across from Pheasant Run), 4072 East Main Street, St. Charles. The meeting will be in ballroom Salons B and C. This is our chance to let the St. Charles Plan Commission know our opinion on this planned Mega-store.

This proposed plan will certainly increase traffic not only through the Cornerstone Lakes neighborhood but along Smith Road, as well. If you think it is difficult to get your children to school now because of traffic on Smith Road, just imagine what a mess the additional traffic generated by the Mega-store will make. I urge you to attend the Public Hearing even if you don’t wish to speak. Strength in numbers does work (think about the transfer station hearings)!

Simply a Mom

Saturday, October 28th is the Simply A Mom pick up day. If you want to donate any items and you live in the Cornerstone Lakes neighborhood, please leave the items on your porch before 8:00 AM. If you do not live in the Cornerstone Lakes neighborhood and want to donate items, please contact either Heather Stout 443-4779, or me, and arrange for the items to be picked up. If you want to volunteer, please contact Heather.

All donations are tax deductible and when the volunteers pick up your items, they will leave you the appropriate tax credit form. This is determined by the donation tag that is attached to the bag or box you are donating. Please visit www.simplyamom.org to download the donation tag.

Simply A Mom will be distributing items to the following:

• Hope Haven,1145 Rushmore Drive, DeKalb
• Pregnancy Crisis Center ,101 E. State Street, South Elgin
• Lazarus House, 214 Walnut, St. Charles
• West Chicago Police Department’s Social Services Unit

Here is a partial list of the items that Simply A Mom is requesting. Please visit www.simplyamom.org for a complete list.

• · paper towels
• · saran wrap
• · Kleenex
• · Deodorant
• · toothpaste and toothbrushes
• · laundry soap
• · bleach
• · fabric softener
• · 33 gallon garbage bags
• · disposable diapers (newborn thru size 5)
• · formula
• · baby cleansing items – baby shampoo, baby wash, baby power, baby lotion
• · baby toys
• · cribs and crib sheets
• · baby bottles
• · toys
• · cleaning supplies
• · napkins
• · toilet paper
• · lunch bags
• · sandwich bags
• · pens
• · coffee
• · sugar
• · disposal razors

Simply A Mom provides a unique opportunity to teach our children by a hands on experience of how to make a difference in the lives of homeless families. Please visit www.simplyamom.org to read all about Heather and her family’s wonderful mission.

Spooky Trail

The West Chicago Park District will host its annual Spooky Trail on Friday, October 27 and Saturday, October 28 at the Reek-Keppler Park Nature Trail. The hours of operations each night are 6:00-6:30pm for Preschool students and 6:30-9:00pm for the public. The cost is $7 for those 3' and taller.

Breakfast with the Aldermen

Alderman Matt Fuesting and I want to try something new! We would like to invite the first eight people who RSVP to this e-mail to join us for breakfast on Saturday November 11 at a restaurant in West Chicago (not McDonald’s, I promise). The topic of discussion will range from the City to sports or anything in between. Please send me an e-mail if you are interested in attending.

The Season Of Giving

This bit is from Donna Swanson at the WCPD Social Services Unit:

“Is anyone interested in adopting a child with special needs or disabilities for the holidays?

If anyone is interested in “adopting” a child or children with disabilities and maybe their siblings, as well, for the holidays, please contact Donna Swanson.

We will follow the same program as last year; we will provide a basic need that a child has, as well as a few ideas off their wish list. We ask that you purchase the basic need and one item off the wish list. We suggest no more than $30-$35 per child. The names of the children will be handed out the first few weeks of November.

The party for the children and their families is on Friday, Dec. 15 at the West Chicago Middle School cafeteria. You are more than welcome to attend. Last year, we had over 130 special needs kids and their siblings, we expect the same number again this year, and maybe a few more.

We can use all the help we can. If you are not able to purchase the items, but would like to help in some way, you can certainly make a monetary donation, as we go shopping for the kids who are not adopted.

Please email or call me at 293-2751 if you have any questions or if you are interested in helping again this year.

Thank you. Your generosity last year was over whelming!”

Donna Swanson

dswanson@westchicago.org

New Businesses in the City

Our City has seen an unbelievable influx of new businesses over the last year or so. But with the boom of business in West Chicago comes some responsibility on our part. We need to shop at and frequent all of the new and old businesses in West Chicago. The City Council has worked hard to attract these businesses into our City and we need to do our part to keep them in West Chicago.

Please welcome (and definitely visit) our newest addition to town, our new Italian Steakhouse called Tivoli and Tivoli Café, located in Tower Station on Rte 59 just north of Hawthorne Lane (in the Aldi Plaza). This is the first fine dinning restaurant to open in West Chicago in over 30 years! Tivoli’s chef, the award-winning Giuseppe Russo, has created a buzz around the Chicago area and people from all over the region have been coming to West Chicago to experience this fine restaurant. This restaurant has put us on the map!

My wife and I have already been there a few times, and I can tell you firsthand, it is fabulous for both dinner in the restaurant, and for breakfast goodies and lunches, and coffee and tea in the Café.

To get more information about Tivoli, please visit www.tivoli-ristorante.com or call them at (630) 957-6506 or me. You will not be disappointed and the sales tax revenues will stay right here in West Chicago!

As always, if you ever have something community-related you would like me to send along to all of our neighbors, please let me know. Also, do not forget my offer to talk about anything, anytime. Call, write, or stop by.

Nick Dzierzanowski

Alderman, 7th Ward

2456 Lehman Drive

587-9608

nickd03@sbcglobal.net

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