West Chicago Lions Club hosted its 51st Annual New Teachers Luncheon Friday, August 19, 2016 at St. Andrews Golf & Country Club. Attending were teachers and staff from Benjamin School District 25 and West Chicago Elementary School District 33. Community High School District 94 was not present as its first day of school is Tuesday, September 6th.
Western DuPage Chamber of Commerce provided welcome and informational packages for the teachers. Included were packets, certificates and small gifts from various Chamber members. Daniel and Associates Real Estate donated six door prizes of school supplies. Hawthorne’s Backyard Bar & Grill provided $25 gift cards that were attached to the chairs of two teachers and Augustino’s Rock & Roll Deli provided gift cards for every new teacher.
Reverend Kevin Sampson, pastor at Renewal Church, gave the invocation. Lions Club President Dan Czuba welcomed the new staff to West Chicago. Lion member Lori Chassee gave an overview of the Lions Club, internationally, nationally, district-wide and locally. Mayor Ruben Pineda said the Lions Club sees the long-standing tradition of welcoming new teachers to our school districts as an important one and an indication of the Club’s commitment to education and community outreach. He added that the community values the new teachers’ contributions to the children, plus advised them of the community’s interest and involvement.
Administrators from Benjamin School District 25 attending the luncheon were Michael Fitzgerald, Benjamin Middle School Principal; and Laura Pfanenstiel, Evergreen Elementary School Principal. New teachers and staff at Benjamin are Matthew Turner, band instructor, Kim Gerster, secretary; Jennifer Stringham, teacher assistant; April Tepe, part time teacher and teacher assistant; Jennifer Pope, teacher assistant; and Jordan Mosquera, teacher assistant. New teachers and staff at Evergreen are Linda Voifht, lunchroom assistant; Ellen Locke, social worker; Lauren Giacalonem teacher, Sherry Douglas, art teacher; Julie Seeman, teacher; and Teresa Jotautas, Shannon Slaughter, and Stephanie Silva, teachers’ assistants. Jignasa Rawalje is the district nurse.
Dr. Charles Johns, West Chicago Elementary School District 33 Superintendent, introduced the administrators. New administrative staff are Dr. Paul Bleuher, Director of Assessment and Accountability, Lea Deluca, Coordinator for Teaching and Learning; Alex Cowal, Coordinator of the WeGo Together Community School; Ciara Burns, Coordinator of the WeGo Together Community School; and Josephina Frankovich, Coordinator of Partnerships. New principals are Jennifer Tapia of Indian Knoll School and Karen Apostoli of Wegner School. Interim principal of Currier School is Mark Truckenbord. Leman Middle School Assistant Principals are Amie Correa and Emily Hanlon. The principals of each school introduced their new teachers. The other principals are Sandy Warner of Early Learning Cent, Stephanie Drake of Gary School, Gloria Trejo of Pioneer School, John Rodriguez of Turner School and Marc Campbell of Leman Middle School.
New teachers at Currier School are Arturo Arvizu, dual language fourth grade; Alicial Hizel, speech; Emily Moran, music; and Sydney Schreiber, third grade.
Early Learning Center new teachers are Ashley Kainrath, pre-kindergarten; Katie Lehman, pre-kindergarten; Desiree Krist, pre-kindergarten; Cody Papp, pre-kindergarten; and Alex Valdez, social worker.
Teachers new at Gary School are Graciela Bucio, second grade; Karen Lee, dual language fifth grade; Irma Maciel, dual language first grade; Melissa Meyer, dual language third grade; Allison Schneider, dual language third grade; Victoria Wilson, dual language fifth grade; and Katie Yankowski, art.
New teachers at Indian Knoll School are Hooma Ahmed, Cassandra Anderson, third grade; Michelle Barrera, fifth grade; Brittney Fitzenreider, fourth grade; Jori Jones, speech pathologist; Monique Lejman, English as a Second Language. Laura Lowderman, facilitator; Payal Patel, psychologist; Emily Phamornsuwana, first grade; Gianna Pollastrini, bilingual fifth grade; Michaela Powers, speech; and Nicole Rektorski, social worker.
Leman Middle School new teachers are Eric Cotter, psychologist; Kala Crotty, physical education/health; Cara DiBona, social worker; Sandra Greninger, science; Ava Gronkiewicz, facilitator; Adam Hage, language arts; LeeAnne Middona, facilitator; Margret McEvoy, computer; JoAnn Nelson, facilitator; Jacqueline Parent, language arts; Kristen Robinson, math; Melissa Russell, math; David Serpas, facilitator; Kathryn VanDorn, facilitator; and Kristine Busse.
Teachers new at Pioneer School are Yesenia Favela, psychologist; David Hurlbert, facilitator; Brenda Silva, fourth grad and Ann Serbick, fifth grade.
New teachers at Turner School are Patricia Lafond, bilingual fourth grade; Tiffany Marzullo, bilingual fourth grade; and Lindsay Robinson, fifth grade.
Wegner School new teachers are Anna Duran, music; Pam Lawrence, bilingual fourth grade; Timothy Kolaczkowski, social worker; and Kydalla Young, third grade.
District-wide staff persons are Aimee Geringer, speech, Bradley Rathe, band/orchestra; and Ines Erickson, SPL. (www.merleburl.com)
AROUND AND ABOUT
The first day of school for first through eighth grades in West Chicago Elementary School District 33 is Thursday August 25, 2016; kindergarten begins Monday, August 29th.
West Chicago Garden Club meeting is Thursday, August 25, 2016 at Faith Community Church, 910 Main Street. Social time is at 6:45 p.m., short business meeting at 7:00 p.m. followed by the program at 7:15 p.m. The featured speaker, Trish Beckjord, discusses “Home Garden Habitat for Pollinators”. She is Native Plant, Infrastructure Specialist for Midwest Groundcovers in St. Charles. Her work focuses on ecological design, specializing in sustainable planting and site design, particularly the integration of native species and native landscapes and sustainable storm water management best practices.
Coffee with the Mayor is from 9:00 a.m. to noon Saturday, August 27, 2016 at City Hall, 475 Main Street.
Turtle Splash Water Park is only open from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekends, beginning Saturday, August 27, 2016, and closes for the season Labor Day, Monday, September 5th.
The Mad Monks of Melody perform at the 9:30 a.m. worship service Sunday, August 28, 2016 at St. Michael’s United Church of Christ, 400 West Washington Street. The group is well known for its Dixieland style of worship.
St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 150 North Prince Crossing Road, has only a bilingual service at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, August 28, 2016. This is followed by a picnic with games and entertainment.
Persons still have time to vote for their favorite banner for the People’s Choice Award in the 2016 City Banner Competition. The theme is “Patterns—Patterns—Patterns”. The deadline for voting is Wednesday, August 31. Ballots are available at Gallery 200, 200 Main Street; West Chicago City Museum, 132 Main Street; and West Chicago Public Library District, 118 West Washington Street.
Participating banners and the artists are: “Inked” by Andrea Alvarez, “Green Slinky” by Anne Frantzen, “Dansk/Engelsk (Danish/English)” by Anni Holm, “Constraints/Freedom (detail)” by Audrius Plioplys,“ State of the Union” by Chris Hodge, “Night Lights” by Dan Stultz, “American Spinner 1903-2001” by Diana Gabriel and Rita Grendez, “Not Like Them” by Eden Unluata and “Textile” by Juan Fernandez.
Others are “Frost On My Window” by Judith Horsley, “Saw” by Katherine Houlne, “Pebble Bud” by Kathy Steere, “Positano, Italia” by Lewis Achenbach, “Produced Using Repetition and Short Ladders” by Meg Duguid, “Window Blue” by Mitch Ralph, “Dome of the State Capitol” by Nancy Reppe and “Patterns of the Year: Autumn” by Natalia Toreeva.
The West Chicago Cultural Commission plans to have a mosaic mural on a cement podium that currently is on a pedestrian path in Sesquicentennial Park. The artist creating the mosaic is Buddy Plumlee, a resident of the community and a member of the Commission.
A mosaic is a hand-created work consisting of fragments of various materials that make an image or design. Items for the mosaic are old ceramic or porcelain tile, chinaware, especially pieces that are colorful or that have a design, marbles, old metal keys, spoons, and forks, metal gears such as bicycle gears and clockwork gears, stained glass and polished stone. Persons in the community may make donations of these items and place them designated table in the lobby of City Hall, 475 Main Street. Smaller items are preferred, and should be no larger than a dinner plate, with a limit of 5 donated items per person.
Residents are asked to place items in a bag or small box to contain them and prevent breakage when placed on the table. Persons may donate anonymously or place a small notecard with name contact information and anything about the significance of the donation in the bag. This information will become part of the mosaic’s unique character and history. The deadline for submitting donations is Wednesday, August 31, 2016.
The West Chicago Park District Community Theater production is “Alice in Wonderland, Jr.” with performances taking place Thursday through Saturday, November 17 to 19, 2016. Cast calls for persons from the ages of 5 to 18. Audition packets are available on the district website www.we-goparks.org. Video auditions are due by 7:00 p.m. Friday, September 2nd. Appointment only auditions are from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Monday, September 5th. Drop-in auditions are from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 7th.
West Chicago Park District monthly social for senior citizens is at noon Thursday, September 8, 2016 at the ARC. It is the annual Frank Lenertz Lasagna Cook-off. The 2015 winner, Commissioner Courtney Voelz, once again extends the challenge to Lenertz, board president. Guests bring a dish and a complete place setting. The program includes a presentation and hearing test provided by Eve Lienonen, AU.D, Clinical Audiologist of Affordable hearing Solution. There is no charge for the event. Reservations are due by Thursday, September 1, 2016 and may be made in person or online at www.we-goparks.org.
“Zoos Gone Wild” is the exhibit at Gallery 200, 103 West Washington Street, for the month of September. Photographer Mike Smith shows the animals in their own, distinct personalities. Smith said, “I spent hours observing the animals and then freezing a moment in time, reflecting their unique character.” The artist’s reception is from 6:00 to 8:00p.m. Friday, September 2, 2016.
He created a gallery of images from a different viewpoint. “Some have been affixed on the back of windows to give the impression of viewing wildlife from the comfort of a wilderness cabin.” He finds the printing on different substrates gives a feeling of being there, “an artist’s conception, and a unique point of view.” He added, “The project brings you closer to the wonders of wildlife that we live with throughout the world.”
Late Night at the Museum is from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday, September 2, 2016 at the West Chicago City Museum, 132 Main Street.
West Chicago is one of six cities participating in the Move with the Mayor Challenge, an initiative of the National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention, in the month of September. The other cities are Green Bay, Wisconsin, Indianapolis, Indiana, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Columbia, South Carolina, and Lorain, Ohio. Mayor Ruben Pineda said, “This is not a competition, but a way to motivate persons to move and walk. Walking is a healthy way to combat cardiovascular disease.”
To encourage participation, community walks are planned for four Saturdays. The first 1.5-mile walk, which only takes about 30 minutes, is at 9:00 a.m. September 3, 2016 starting at Gary School, 130 East Forest Avenue. The other scheduled walks are September 10, 2016 at Currier School; September 17, 2016 at the Healthy West Chicago office; and September 24, 2016 at Reed-Keppler Park. The challenge ends with a celebration from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in a TBA park location.
Mexican Cultural Center of DuPage holds a 3v3 Bi-Terrain Soccer Tournament during the Mexican Independence Day Celebration Saturday & Sunday, September 17-18, 2016. The divisions are Boys and Girls U12 and U14. The charge is $100 per six-man team; four games are guaranteed. To register visit www.mccdupage.org., click soccer, and then click registration. The registrar is Maria Trejo and she can be reached at (630) 788-1503 or mtrejo62@yahoo.com.
Sincere sympathy is extended to the family of Alvin Mack Lowe Jr., who at the age of 79 passed away Saturday, August 13, 2016.
Deepest sympathy is extended to the family of Sylvia W. Lamczyk, who at the age of 95 passed away Tuesday, August 16, 2016.
At the Monday, August 15, 2016 meeting, City Council approved the appointment of Gail Cannata to the Cultural Arts Commission for an unexpired term ending April 2017, Keith Letsche to the Historical Preservation Commission for an unexpired term ending April 1017 and Tim Devitt as an ex-officio member to the Plan Commission/Zoning Board of Appeals for an expired term ending April 2017.
Council also approved the purchase of the bandshell structure for the Reed-Keppler Park Music and Arts venue from Custom Fabricated Inc. in Beachwood, Ohio for the amount of $198,120. The proposed location is on the northeast side of the park, off of Arbor Avenue, and where, at one time, mud volleyball was played during Railroad Days. Others remember the site as a lagoon in the park. The goal is to have the project completed in time for programming in 2017. Programs for the stage could include small concerts, dance recitals, small plays/theatrical performances, storytelling and small festivals/shows.
For the sixteenth year in a row, the City of West Chicago is the recipient of the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association. The recognition is for the City going beyond the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles with comprehensive annual reports that demonstrate transparency and full disclosure.
My email address is merleburl@earthlink.net.
