Delicious Swedish pancakes were on the grill (far left), momentos were offered for sale and kids could try out a ring toss game of skill at Sunday’s annual Swedish Day Midsommar Festival at Good Templar Park in Geneva. (Photos by Jack McCarthy / Chronicle Media)

ELGIN

ECC, partners preparing for Project Backpack

Elgin Community College and its partners are preparing for Project Backpack, a community-based initiative to benefit students in need. Donations of school supplies will be accepted prior to Monday, July 31, at several locations.

The event will take place Saturday, Aug. 12, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Building J Spartan Events Center, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.

Supplies are received through individual, retailer, church, and community organization donations. Students who provide proof of residency or enrollment in Districts 300, U-46, or at ECC for fall 2016 are eligible to receive supplies. Backpacks are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, limit one backpack per student.  A range of community agencies and services will also be available at the event to help individuals in need.

More than 16,000 students have been served since 2010. More than 2,000 backpacks were distributed to families during last year’s event.

Donations of the following supplies are needed:  

• Two pocket folders, solid color only
• One subject spiral notebooks, wide rule, solid color only
• Packs of loose leaf/filler paper, 150/200 count, wide rule
• Packages of yellow wood, standard No. 2 pencils, 10 count
• Black pens
• Scissors, gender-neutral color
• Glue sticks, 0.21 oz.
• Rulers, wood or gender-neutral color
• Pack of 24 count crayons, Crayola preferred
• Gender-neutral backpacks

For more information and drop-off locations, contact the ECC Student Life Office at (847) 214-7370 or visit www.project-backpack.org. For information in Spanish, call (847) 888-5000, ext. 4211.

ELGIN

League to host civic engagement expo Saturday

Voters and non-voters alike are invited to learn about making voices heard at the Elgin Area Civic Engagement Fair from 2 to 4 pm June 24 at Gail Borden Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin.

“This event will present ‘one-stop shopping’ for those seeking information about getting involved in local, state and federal government as well as learning how to vote, run for office, volunteer to improve the community, contact government officials and more,” said Beth Kruger of the League of Women Voters. “We all benefit when people get involved locally.”

More than 20 local organizations will be available to answer the “how to” questions about becoming active in your government.

Visitors will have the opportunity to learn how to:

• Register to vote. Voter registrars from The League of Women Voters of the Elgin Area will be able to register visitors. Citizens will need to provide two pieces of identification.
• Use the voting machine by practicing on an e-slate.
• Discover the different political parties. The event is nonpartisan, but there will be information tables for Kane County republicans and democrats plus organizations across the spectrum: tea party, democratic socialists, progressives, and more.
• Contact your legislators and learn what form of communication is most effective.
• Evaluate news sites. Gail Borden Public Library will teach criteria for considering real news, fake news, and alternative facts.
• Advocate for an issue. Nonpartisan groups such as American Association of University Women, Citizens Climate Lobby, Elgin Cooperative Ministry, Fox Valley Citizens for Peace and Justice, Centro de Information, and similar groups offer information on how to take action for your particular cause.
• Become personally active. Volunteer for an Elgin city commission, run for office, serve as a campaign manager, assist a campaign. Learn about the fall YWCA and LWVEA Running for Office workshop.

Also, local elected officials have been invited to meet and greet. Elgin Mayor David Kaptain will give opening remarks at 2 pm. Light refreshments will be served.

The fair will be presented by The League of Women Voters of the Elgin Area and co-sponsored by the Gail Borden Public Library District.

AURORA

City hires ex-DePaul prof as chief innovation officer

The city of Aurora has hired a former DePaul University professor to serve as the city’s first-ever chief innovation officer.

Dr. Adrienne Merced-Holloway had accepted the new role and former Morgan Stanley vice President of Information Technology Michael R. Pegues would become the city’s new chief information officer.

“Developing innovative ideas and policies for Aurora will require strong data analysis coupled with best practices and creative and strategic thinking,” Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin said. “Successful innovation is greater than just technology alone. It requires the ability to generate ideas from across the board and the proven capacity to implement them.”

Holloway was most recently an assistant professor at the DePaul University Graduate School of Public Service, where she taught government, community development and research methods courses across four degree programs. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science from Northern Illinois University, a master’s degree in Public Administration from Baruch College, City University of New York and a bachelor of science degree in psychology from Fordham University.

Pegues brings more than 20 years of experience in IT delivery and management across diverse sectors, including financial services, technology/telecommunications and government.

Pegues will be responsible for the management, oversight and direction of the IT Department, including the Management Information Systems Division and the Police Technical Services Division, which is comprised of public safety and the 911 center. Former Chief Technology Officer Ted Beck will collaborate with Pegues as the city’s new Chief Information Security Officer, focusing on cybersecurity and citywide IT projects.

Pegues holds a bachelor’s of computer science from DeVry University and an Executive MBA from Central European University. He is an alum of West Aurora High School.

COUNTY

Plank road to close for culvert repairs

Plank Road will be closed to traffic between Main Street and Romke Road in the village of Burlington starting next week in order to safely and efficiently replace the existing box culvert.

The anticipated duration for the culvert repair project is about seven weeks. The improvement is part of the countywide effort to repair or replace culverts in order to maintain the proper flow of waterways in Kane County.

The improvements will include:

• Removal and replacement of the existing road culvert with a new 10-by-5-foot box culvert and wing walls
• Embankment grading and site restoration
• Construction of new bituminous shoulders and pavement resurfacing

All bicyclists and pedestrians are advised to avoid using the area during construction for the safety of both the workers and the residents.

A posted detour route will direct traffic around the closure using Illinois Route 47, Plato Road, Burlington Road, and Main Street. The public is advised to safely adhere to the speed limits while following the posted detour route around the project and to expect increased travel times.

Questions and concerns may be directed to David Sitko at (630) 313-0754.

AURORA

Museums After Dark featured  in July, August

Aurora Museums After Dark welcomes visitors to two downtown museums on July 13  and Aug. 10 from 5-8 p.m.. This summer, Aurora Regional Fire Museum, GAR Museum, and SciTech Hands On Museum are staying open for an extra few hours for families to enjoy.

Children are free with paid adult admission and members are free.

July’s theme is Cool Off with kids coloring their own fire helmet, enjoying an ice cream treat, and partaking in educational demonstrations.

Creating in the August theme. Kids can make their own mini collection to take home and learn about what a Museum is and why they collect what they do.

SciTech will also offer interactive STEAM activities for children. GAR is open for visitors to explore.

ELGIN

Register for August National Night Out parties

The City of Elgin Police Department and the National Association of Town Watch will be sponsoring the 34th Annual National Night Out crime prevention celebration on Tuesday, Aug. 1.

National Night Out is a great opportunity for neighbors to get to know one another and bring more people into the process of preventing crime. Neighborhood Watch groups, homeowner’s associations, and any interested residents are encouraged to participate.

Last year over 30 neighborhoods joined in the effort to make it a successful event. To register your neighborhood for National Night Out 2017, please contact Cherie Aschenbrenner at (847) 289-2626. Registration closes on Friday, June 23.

SUGAR GROVE

Waubonsee athletics wins ISCC all-sports trophy

Waubonsee Community College captured the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference’s (ISCC) All-Sports Trophy for the 2016-17 school year in convincing fashion. Six Chiefs’ teams earned ISCC titles, while no other sports squad finished lower than third in the eight-team league.

Waubonsee compiled 61.5 points, six and a half points better than Moraine Valley Community College (55 points) and well ahead of third-place College of Lake County (42 points). The Chiefs were ISCC Champions in men’s soccer, women’s tennis, men’s golf, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and softball, to go along with second-place finishes in baseball, women’s soccer and men’s cross country. 

Overall it is the seventh time Waubonsee has garnered the ISCC’s trophy since the inception of the award in 1980.

ST. CHARLES

Rehab program has expanded beyond houses

The St. Charles City Council has expanded the Home Rehabilitation and Accessibility Loan Program, allowing all types of owner-occupied units to qualify, including single-family homes, condos, and townhomes. Previously, only single-family homes were eligible.

Funds from the program can be used for mechanical repairs, roofs, windows, insulation, exterior painting, termite damage repair, yard cleanup, building security, and exterior work that will improve neighborhood appearance, as well as accessibility improvements for physically disabled persons such as grab bars, railings, motorized chair lifts, walk-in showers, doorway widening, ramps, and more.

The program provides financial assistance in the form of a 0% interest, deferred payment loan to assist income-eligible homeowners to make necessary repairs and improvements to their homes.

The City’s program works in conjunction with a similar program offered by Kane County. Up to $20,000 in assistance is available from Kane County. An additional $10,000 is available from the City if more funds are needed. 

Community Contacts, Inc., an Elgin based non-profit organization, administers the program on behalf of the City and County. For more information, to find out if you are eligible, and to apply, call Community Contacts at (847) 697-8800 or visit http://cci-hci.org/affordable-housing-housing-rehabilitation-program/.

–Kane County News Briefs–