The Consolidated Election is Tuesday, April 6, 2021. Up for election are candidates for the City, library, park schools and townships. This is an important election as decisions made by these officials have such a direct effect in everyday events such as property taxes, services such as road repair, garbage pickup, police and fire safety. Take the time to vote.
City of West Chicago positions open are Mayor, City Clerk and seven Aldermen. On the ballot are Ruben Pineda for Mayor and Nancy Smith for City Clerk Candidates for Aldermen areLori Chassee and David W. Reynolds, for Ward 1; Heather Brown for Ward 2; Christine Dettman and Yuritzi Angeles for Ward 3: Sandy Dimas for Ward 4; Chris Swiatek for Ward 5; Jeanne Short for Ward 6; and John Jakabcsin for Ward 7.
In the West Chicago Public Library District, there are three four-year positions open for the Board of Trustees. Candidates are Diane Kelsey and Frank Fokta.
West Chicago Park District has one four-year unexpired term and one two-year unexpired term open for the Board of Commissioners. Teresa Carreno is the candidate for the two-year unexpired term.There is no candidate for the unexpired four-year term.
In West Chicago Elementary School District 33, there are four four-year seats open for the Board of Education. Persons filing for the four year seats are Chad McLean, Christian Rivera, Felicia Gills, Morgan Banasiak and Sandra Garcia.
In Community High School District 94, there are four four-year positions and one two-year unexpired position open for the Board of Education. Incumbents filing for the four-year terms are Rich Nagel, Dean Klapatch, Gary Saake and Katherine Doremus. Newcomers filing are Douglas J. Orlyk and Jovany Zuniga. Filing for the two-year seat is Penny Munoz.
In Benjamin School District 25, there are four six-year terms open. Persons filing are incumbents Jack Buscemi, Vince Engstrom, Dennis Peterson and Eric Rogers.
In St. Charles School District 303, there are four four-year seats open. Candidates are Katherine (Kathe) Bell, Jim Stombreg, Heidi J. Fairgrieves, Carolyn Walbel and Edward J. McNally.
In School District U-46, there are three seats open for a four-year term. Candidates are Dawn Martin, Veronica Noland, Melissa Owens and LeJewel Crigler.
In School District U-46, there are three seats open for a four-year term. Candidates are Dawn Martin, Veronica Noland, Melissa Owens and LeJewel Crigler.
In Wayne Township, the offices open are for Supervisor, Clerk, Assessor, Highway Commissioner and four Trustees. Candidates for supervisor are Randy Ramey-R, and Jennifer S. Dziepak; for Clerk are Brandi Fike Ramundo-R, and Ruby Perez-D; for Assessor is Michael E. Musson-R and for highway Commissioner are Janusz Jarmula-R and Martin McManamon-D. Trustee Republican candidates are Paul Hempel, William “Bump” Waghorne, Mark Hoyert and Jackie Hayden. Democrat Candidates for Trustee are Khurram H. Syed, David Michalek, Christopher Borbas and Sergiusz “Serfio” Zgrzebski.
In Winfield Township, the offices open are for Supervisor, Clerk, Assessor, Highway Commissioner and four Trustees, Candidates for Supervisor are Nicole Prater-R, and Maury Goodman-D. The candidate for Clerk is Michael W. Guglielmi for Assessor is MarkMalay-R, and for Highway Commissioner is John S. Dusza-R. Republican candidates for Trustee are Barbara C. Bernacki Alekna, Zachary E. Halley, Michael Konewko, and Donald R. Voelz. Democrat candidates for Trustee are Shawn Patrick Hacker and Judith M. Lukas.
There are three candidates on the ballot for DuPage County Regional Board of School Trustees. They are John Gardner Huff, Marilyn A. Menconi and Paula McGowen
AROUND AND ABOUT
During the month of April, there is a fundraiser every Thursday at Hawthorne’s Backyard Bar & Grill, 1200 West Hawthorne and, for West Chicago resident John Sweeney, who has cancer, The restaurant is donating 15 percent of all monies with persons who show up with the flyer.
The following is a schedule of worship services aplanned by local churches for Maundy Thursday, April 1; Good Friday, April 2; Holy Saturday, April 3; and Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021. Check the church websites for in person and on line information.
Community Fellowship Church, 28W240 North Avenue, Good Friday service is at 7:00 p.m. The outdoor Easter Sunrise service is at 6:00 a.m. The Easter worship services are 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.
FaithBridge Church, 450 East Roosevelt Road, Easter service is at 9:00 a.m.
Faith Community Church, 910 Main Street, Good Friday service at 6:30 p.m. The Easter worship services are at 8:30 and 9:45 a.m.
First United Methodist Church of West Chicago, 643 East Washington Street, Maundy Thursday services are at 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Good Friday Service of Shadows is at 7:00 p.m., Holy Saturday service is at 8:00 p.m. and the Easter worship service is at 9:30 a.m.
Glen Arbor Community Church, 204 Church Street, Good Friday service is at 7:00 p.m., joined by Iglesia Piedra Angular (Cornerstone Church). Easter service is at 10:00 a.m.
Iglesia Piedra Angular (Cornerstone Church). Easter service is apt 12:30 p.m.
New Life Bilingual Church, 468 Ann Street, Easter service is at 10:30 a.m. followed by an Easter Egg Hunt at 12:30 p.m.
Real Life Church, 525 North Neltnor Boulevard, Easter service is at 10:00 a.m.
Renewal Church Easter services are at 9:00 a.m.
St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 155 North Prince Crossing Road, bilingual Maundy Thursday service is at 7:00 p.m. The Good Friday Tennebrae service in English is at 7:00 p.m. and the Spanish service is at noon.The Easter Vigil in Spanish is at 7:00 p.m. Saturday. The Easter services are traditional at 8:00 a.m., contemporary at 10:00 a.m. and Spanish at noon.
St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 140 North Oakwood Avenue, Holy Thursday includes Tenebrae at 5:00 a.m. in the Chapel, the Latin Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 6:00 p.m. in the Chapel Bilingual Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7:30 p.m. On Good Friday, Tenebrae at 5:00 a.m., Liturgy of the.Passion of the Lord at noon in English and Spanish at 3:00 p.m. in the Chapel, the Stations of the Cross is at 6:30 p.m. in the Chapel. On Holy Saturday, Tenebrae is at 5:00 a.m., the Blessing of Baskets is at 2:00 p.m. The Easter Vigil is at 8:00 p.m. Easter Sunday observations take place at the regular Mass schedule.
Trinity Lutheran Church, 331 George Street, Maundy Thursday service is at 7:00 p.m. The Good Friday service is at 7:00 p.m. On Easter the worship services are at 9:00 and 10:30 a.m.
West Chicago Bible Church, 209 South Oakwood Avenue, Good Friday Service is at 6:00 p.m. Easter worship service is at 9:00 a.m.
West Chicago Church of Christ, 350 James Street, Easter worship service is at 9:00 a.m.
Wheaton Bible Church, 27W500 North Avenue, Good Friday services are at 5:00 p.m. for contemporary and 8:00 p.m. for traditional. Easter worship services are 8:00 a.m. for traditional, 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. for contemporary.
The First Division Museum at Cantigny Park presents a virtual program about the National Museum of the United States Army in its Date With History series at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, April 1, 2021, via Zoom. LTG Roger C. Schultz (US Army-Ret.), president of The Army Historical Foundation, discusses the new museum located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Registration is required for the free program at FDMoueum.org.
The National Army Museum is the first comprehensive and truly national museum to capture, display and interpret more than 245 years of Army history, told through the eyes of soldiers. As president of The Army Historical Foundation, Lieutenant General Schultz oversees AHF’s mission to honor American soldiers by preserving and presenting the history and heritage of the United States Army.
Sad to say, the American Legion Post 300 Annual Easter Egg Hunt will not take place, for the second year in a row. (www.merleburl.com)
The City free leaf pickup takes place during the week of Monday, April 5, through Friday, April 8, 2021, on regularly scheduled garbage pick up days. Leaves must be in “Kraft” bags. Stickers are not required. No other yard waste is to be mixed with the leaves.
Yard waste collection begins Monday, April 5, 2021on regularly scheduled garbage pick up days. It must be placed in a “Kraft” yard waste bag with a Universal sticker attached or in 95-gallon yard waste cart.
Facilitated by Literacy DuPage, West Chicago families can join a Spanish and English conversation group in April, The informational session is at 6:30 p.m.Tuesday, April 6, and the classes begin Tuesday, April 13, 2021. To register, visit bit.ly/WeGoHablemos.
West Chicago Public Library offers a virtual Resume and Writing and Job Seeking class at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 7, 2021, via Zoom. Librarian Austin Hall demonstrates how to do both online. To register, visit wcpld.info, under calendar.
West Chicago Park District and West Chicago Police Department once again are hosting the annual Chicken Luncheon at noon Thursday, April 8, 2021, at the ARC Center, 201 West National Street. The event is for residents age 55 and over. The police officers are available for chats and answering any questions. The cost is $10 for residents and $12 for non-residents. Reservations are due by Saturday, April 3, and can be made at https://bit.ly/3w24cDN. For further information, call the Park District at (630) 231-9474.(Masks are required and all COVID-19 protocols are in place. (www.merleburl.com)
In partnership with Cantigny Park, the League of Women Voters of Wheaton hosts a Civics Awareness program at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, April 8, 2021, via Zoom. The program, presented by Madelleine Doubek, executive director of CHANGE Illinois, is “Why We Need to End Gerrymandering, Together.” Discussing the issues of local and state gerrymandering, he tells how to create fair voting maps for the state.To make a reservation visit my.lwv.org/illinois/wheaton/calendar/civic-awareness or cantigny.org A Zoom link to access the presentation is sent two days prior to the event. Persons can submit any questions they have to blaimins@gmail.com before the event. During the presentation, attendees use the chat box located on the bottom of the Zoom screen.
Doubek is an advocate for improving government and politics in Illinois. Doubek writes a government-focused column for “Crain’s Chicago Business.” Prior to his direct advocacy and policy work, he spent 32 years in journalism, mainly covering local and state government and politics and winning several regional and national awards in the process. His many years with the suburban “Daily Herald” included roles as political writer, columnist, editor, and assistant vice president/executive editor. As a former vice president of policy at the Better Business Association, he was responsible for a new law that limits “golden parachutes” for public executives. He also works to stop efforts to limit government transparency and champions laws that boost government efficiency.
League of Women Voters of Wheaton includes West Chicago, Warrenville, Winfield, Wheaton and Carol Stream. The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization that does not support or oppose any political party or candidate, but whose purpose is to promote political responsibility through informed and active participation of citizens in government.
The West Chicago City Museum and West Chicago Historical Society present a Town Share presentation about West Chicagoans who worked on the train. It is at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 14, 2021, via Zoom. This includes Fred Kruse, who was a collector for the Chicago & Northwestern Railway. The Zoom link is shared 30 minutes before the event on the Historical Society’s website, www.facebook.com/WestChicagoHistoricalSociety/and the Friends of the West Chicago City Museum website, www.wegohistory.com. There was a Zoom presentation on the trains that built West Chicago Wednesday, March 17. To view this, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OABKNPosHo. (www.merleburl.com)
West Chicago Public Library extends its Spring Giveaway to Thursday, April 15, 2021. It is for patrons who have a physical WCPL library card. Grand prizes are awarded for each age group-adults: young adults, ages 12 through 18; youth, ages 5 through 11; and youth, ages 0 to 5. Details on each of the grand prizes and how to enter are on the Facebook page www.facebook.com/wcpld. For further information email pr@wcpld.info. (www.merleburl.com)
Western DuPage Chamber is planning for a tour of Costa dell Sol in Spain. The tour is open to members, family and friends of chamber members. The nine-day trip begins October 12, 2021. Highlights include round trip scheduled airfare, round trip transfers between airports and hotels, personal airport VIP greeting and check-in service, pre-departure orientation and travel documents, seven nights with first class accommodations, breakfast daily and five dinners, Discovery program guide, chamber exchange, four of Ronda and Malaga, and journey to Mijas. The price ranges from $3,949 to $3,315, depending on hotel room size. There is a $300 early bird discount. For more information or to make reservations, visit www.westerndupagechamber.com, under Spain Trip.
Support our local businesses. Check the local eating establishments for special Easter brunches or dinners, dine-in , delivery or take out.
Enthusiast Car Detailing, 1092 Carolina Drive, Unit 3, opens its doors April 1, 2021. The owner is Anthony Whittenhall. To learn more about the business, visit https://www.enthusiastautodetailing.com. (www.merleburl.com)
The DuPage County Health Department developed a dashboard to provide information on the total number of people, in DuPage County, who have tested positive for COVID-19. In addition, the dashboard includes a map which shows the distribution of reported cases by municipality and is updated at 4:00 p.m. daily. DuPage County’s “COVID-19 Dashboard” is a one-stop-shop for all the information it offers including a town-by-town breakdown of cases. A It is important to remember to follow the social distancing order, wear masks and wash hands.
A COVID-19 testing site is open from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays in a VNA Health Care Mobile at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 155 North Prince Crossing Road. There is no charge. Appointments are required and may be made at (630) 892-4355 or (847) 717-6455.
To keep residents aware of community COVID-19 updates, the City has posted West Chicago’s COVID-19 COMMUNICATIONS CENTER on its website, www.westchicago.org. It is located on the upper left-hand side in red. Clicking on this, residents can see the latest information.
Sincere sympathy to the family of Richard Lapp, who at the age of 88 passed away Monday, March 22, 2021.
Deepest sympathy to the family of Mariano Guzman Alcantar, who at the age of 83 passed away Wednesday, March 24, 2021.
Sincere sympathy to the family of Ruth Blakeslee, who at the age of 93 passed away Wednesday, January 27, 2021.
Deepest sympathy is expressed to the family of Leonard “Len” J. Mahony, who at the age of 80 passed away Friday, March 26, 2021.
Sincere sympathy is extended to the family of Patricia “Becky” M. (Lampos) Alexander, who passed away at the age of 83 Saturday, March 27, 2021.
Deepest sympathy is expressed to the family of Bill Hall, who passed away Saturday, March 27, 2021.
At the Tuesday, March 15, 2021, meeting, Community High School District 94 Board of Education approved staffing for 2021-22 school year of an increase of one full time equivalent certified staff and a head coach for the new sport of Women’s wwrestling. The certified staff increase replaces contracted services for a Speech Language Pathologist and is a reduction in cost. This also included granting of tenure to 20 certified staff and renewal of 39 non-tenured staff.
Also approved was the resignation of Cheryl Moore, Director of Human Resources.
The Board approved the Student Fees for the 2021-22 school year; there were no changes.
There was approval of a one year extension to the special education transportation contract with Sunrise Transportation with a five percent increase in fees.
Also approved was the purchase of a 12-passenger mini-bus with a wheelchair ramp, as well as a 14-passenger mini-bus for the price of $112,751 from Southern Bus & Mobility in Breese.
More than 2,000 persons received vaccinations provided by Jewel-Osco Monday, March 22, 2021, at Wheaton Bible Church. Involved in the process were State Senator Karina Villa, State Representative Maura Hirschaueer, City of West Chicago, Mayor Ruben Pineda, Wayne Township, Puente del Pueblo, People Made Visible, West Chicago Elementary School District 33, Community High School District 94, Casa Michoacan, People’s Resource Center, Pediatric Health Associates, St. Andrew Lutheran Church and WeGo Together for Kids. (www.merleburl.com)
“The show must go on” could have been the motto of the American Government students and teachers at West Chicago Community High School Tuesday, March 23, 2021. They, along with the League of Women Voters of Wheaton, were hosting a forum for the candidates running for seats on the Community High School District 94 Board of Education in the Tuesday, April 6, 2021 Consolidated Election. The students were the moderators, asking questions that were submitted in advance. During the forum, the fire alarm went off, but the students did not let this deter them. They moved outside and continued the forum in the rain. What dedication! To view the forum, visit ttps://youtu.be/-7pTfGMib4k . As to the cause of the fire alarm, West Chicago Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Tim Leidig explained, “West Chicago High School maintenance could not find a cause. It was narrowed down to two potential causes, water from the rain into the detector or faulty detector. Maintenance is working to identify the cause and make repairs as needed.” (www.merlebur.com)
West Chicago Jewel-Osco, 177 East Roosevelt Road, recently held its Grand Reopening. The store never closed, but there was active reorganization happening. To help persons navigate the new layout, there are “maps” available that tell where different products are located. With the availability of online ordering, delivery and curbside pickup, there now are designated parking spaces. (www.merleburl.com)
St. Mary’s parish recently installed some stained glass windows in the new church building. 140 North Oakwood Avenue. They truly are beautiful works of art. The windows are from a Catholic Church that was closed. A firm in Chicago did the restoration work and installed them. (www.merleburl.com)
In the Friday, March 26, 2021, football games, West Chicago Community High School lost to Glenbard High School with a score of 37-7; Wheaton Academy lost to St. Francis High School with a score of 44-14.
My email address is merleburl@earthlink.net.