Waubonsee Community College’s men’s basketball team (25-8) downed Triton College 89-83 in overtime at Sugar Grove Saturday, March 11, to take the National Junior College Athletic Association Region IV, Division II championship. WCC advanced to this week’s 16-team national championship tournament in Danville. (Al Benson photo)

AURORA

Library, chamber sponsor meetings with candidates

The Aurora Public Library and the Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring informal meet-and-greets for voters to get to know mayoral, aldermanic and District 129 and 131 board candidates vying for seats in the April 4 election.

A Wednesday meet-and-greet will feature West Aurora School Board candidates at the library’s West Branch, 233 S. Constitution Drive.

Four candidates are vying for three open seats in that race: Rich Kerns and Christopher Sparks, both of North Aurora, and incumbent Valerie Dykstra and Joseph Grisson, both of Aurora.

The two candidates for Aurora mayor, Richard E. Guzman and Richard C. Irvin, will speak with voters in a casual setting on Monday, March 27 in the Dunham Atrium of the Santori Public Library.

Alderman-at-large candidates Matt Harrington and Robert J. O’Connor, and Ward 10 aldermanic candidates Keith Bradley, Judd Lofchie and Robert H. Paolicchi, will greet the public on Wednesday, March 29 in the Dunham Atrium.

Incumbent city council members in Wards 2, 4, 7 and 9 are running unopposed. Citizens will cast a vote for one at-large council member on their April 4 ballot, as mayoral candidate Irvin’s seat is not up for reelection this year. Should Irvin win the election, he would appoint his successor. Should Guzman win, Irvin will remain an at-large alderman.

Also on Wednesday, March 29, School District 131 school board candidates will greet the public in Rooms 125 and 126 of the Santori Library.

Four candidates are running for three open seats: Dan Barreiro, Anna Ishmael, incumbent Annette Johnson and Bruce Schubert.

A gathering for Fox Valley Park District candidates was held on Monday.

Refreshments will be served. Call (630) 264-4125 for information.

COUNTY

Plans for Settler’s Hill driving range advance

Kane County Forest Preserve District commissioners have approved concept plans for a new driving range at Settler’s Hill Golf Course and will pay an additional $24,000 for the final design plans.

Commissioners voted unanimously at last week’s Forest Preserve meeting to move forward with the preliminary design after what Greggory Martin of Martin Design Partnership Ltd. described as “a long and challenging process.”

Construction of the driving range could start as soon as August and the range completed by October.

The new driving range is planned to be located north and east of the first hole at Settler’s Hill. It will face west to east and will be at least 250 yards long with target greens at appropriate distances.

Plans call for a large, natural grass tee area and an “all-weather tee” for purposes of use in bad weather. Lighting for the range will not be included in this phase of improvement.

“(The plan) has been reviewed by Waste Management and had preliminary approval for construction,” Martin said. “There are some minimal aspects to the landfill that should be addressed, but nothing that seems to have a significant affect on the location or design as shown.

“This new location will provide a short-term operational challenge,” he added. “However, in the long term, this location will serve the Forest Preserve District, and Settler’s Hill Golf course in a very positive manner.”

COUNTY

Early voting for April 4 elections now under way

You can’t vote often, but you can now vote early for the April 4 consolidated election.

This is the hyper-local elections, with nine referendums and a number of municipal, township, school district and other local races on the ballot.

The early voting is only at three locations: the Kane County Clerk’s Office in Building B of the Kane County Government Center in Geneva, the Aurora Election Commission Office at 323 West Galena Boulevard, Aurora, and Phillips Park Stover Visitor Center, 1000 Ray Moses Drive, Aurora.

The AEC is the body responsible for elections within the Kane, Kendall and Will county portions of Aurora. Aurora residents living within DuPage County are not under the jurisdiction of the AEC and must register and vote with DuPage County.

All other voters in Kane County are served by the Kane County Clerk’s Office.

Early voting at the three locations are open during regular business hours — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday in Aurora, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday in Geneva.

MONTGOMERY

Montgomery xandidates forum on Thursday

The Greater Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce (GMACC) will host a public Candidates Forum where the six candidates (for three open trustee positions) will have the opportunity to present their views on a variety of topics. 

All area businesses and residents are invited to attend at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Board Room at the Montgomery Village Hall, 200 N. River Street.

For more information about other GMACC programs and upcoming networking events, contact the Greater Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce: gmacc@chamberofmontgomeryil.org, or, contact Cindy Ferchen, Administrative Assistant at (630) 897-8137.

GENEVA

Cougars, Diamondbacks aid local charities

The Kane County Cougars have announced the three local organizations that will be receiving a monetary donation on behalf of the Cougars Foundation, Inc. in conjunction with the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation.

Focusing on the three pillars and areas of need in which the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation was built on, donation will be made to groups involving children’s programs, homelessness and indigent healthcare:

• The Kane Excellence in Education Partnership, which supports and assists the academic and social emotional needs of children throughout the Kane County area. Through collaborations with districts, businesses, government agencies and education organizations, KEEP provides scholarships, educational activities, at-risk programming and necessary educational services to schools in Kane County.
• Bridge Communities located in Glen Ellyn, which helps help transition homeless families into a life of self-sufficiency by providing mentoring, housing and supportive services.
• Community Nurse Health Center, in LaGrange, which assists the healthcare needs of the local community. Since 1921, Community Nurse Health Center has served residents of the western suburbs by providing direct medical and dental care as well as health education including medical preventive services, chronic disease management, acute illness services, prenatal case management and oral health treatments for low income children and adults.

AURORA

Historic Preservation award nominations now open

The City of Aurora’s Preservation Commission is hosting its annual Historic Preservation Awards in May and currently seeking nominations of local property owners who have made significant structural improvements while maintaining the historic character of their building.

Nominations are being sought for projects completed during calendar year 2016. Eligible properties should be at least 50 years old or designated as historic by the City of Aurora. Builders or residents are urged to submit their own work or other projects warranting consideration.

The deadline to nominate is Monday, March 27.

Winners will be named during the celebration of National Historic Preservation Month in May and in conjunction with the awarding of the 2016 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award by Landmarks Illinois to Aurora’s Grand Army of the Republic building.

An official nomination form is available at:

https://www.aurora-il.org/historicpreservation/award_nomination.php

GENEVA

Brush pickup won’t begin until April

Warm winter weather may have given Geneva residents an unexpected head start to tackle spring yard work but the city’s yard waste and brush collection services is not scheduled to start until April.

Residents who put out yard waste bags with stickers at the curb this week will need to store them in their garage until their normal garbage day Thursday, April 6 or Friday, April 7.

Brush collection starting in April will take place for residents living:

• West of the Fox River—the first week of each month.
• East of the Fox River—the second week of each month.

The only pickup occurring before April is the the City’s curbside leaf collection vacuum program, which is scheduled to restart operations for the two-thirds of Geneva residents who did not receive a special fourth pickup last fall.

This special leaf collection will take place the week of March 20 for only certain areas of the City.

–Kane County News Briefs–