The East Aurora Board of Education approved the hiring of Anthony Crespo as the next principal of East Aurora High School.

Crespo, 36, is currently the Assistant Principal for Student Supports at Proviso West High School in Hillside.

“I’m thrilled with the opportunity to lead a great high school,” Crespo said.

Crespo grew up in New Jersey and attended a high school that was a melting pot of ethnicities and backgrounds. His mother worked 60-80 hours a week, providing for his family. Crespo was inspired by her, and by teachers who motivated him to get involved.

“East Aurora reminds me a lot of my high school,” he said. “If you don’t invest in students and give them that relationship, they might fall through the cracks. When you provide positive relationships, students can thrive regardless of their circumstances.”

Crespo is scheduled to begin on July 1, 2015.

Oswego School District 302 has kept its tax levy flat year over year. In fact, it actually went down .6 percent.

The rest of the public school districts in Kane County extended levy increases ranging from 1.24 percent in Batavia School District 101 to 7.56 percent for East Aurora School District 131. Elgin School District U-46, among the largest districts in the state outside Chicago, extended a levy that was up 7.18 percent.

The numberers came from a Kane County Property Tax Bills document recently published online.

Overall, schools account for 69.1 percent of the property tax payments in Kane County. That’s almost a percentage point higher than the 68.2 percent that went to schools for the 2013 property tax year paid in 2014.

Kane County Animal Control suggests owners keep their pets away from dog parks and other animal gathering for another three weeks to combat the recent outbreak of Canine Flue among dogs.

“While it appears that the worst is behind us, we are still asking all pet owners to refrain from dog parks and other large animal gatherings for another three weeks,” the Animal Control Department said in a statement last week “If you feel your pet may have this infection. please contact your veterinarian to schedule an appointment.”

The signs to look for are:

Mild – These dogs will have a cough that is typically moist and can have nasal discharge.

Severe – Generally, these dogs have a high fever (above 104 degrees Fahrenheit) and develop signs very quickly.

While the condition has been called “Canine Flu,” other pets are susceptible, as well.

Come enjoy a walk at Johnson’s Mound Forest Preserve to learn about native wildflowers.

The Forest Preserve District of Kane County naturalists will lead this walk from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, May 9. Attendees will learn about the names and stories behind diverse flowers along the way.

This “Spring Wildflowers” program is free and open to all ages, though you must register at (630) 444-3190 or email programs@kaneforest.com or mailto: programs@kaneforest.com.

Johnson’s Mound Forest Preserve is located at 41W600 Hughes Road, Elburn.

For more information or to view the full roster of Forest Preserve District spring nature programs, visit www.kaneforest.com.

The city of Elgin looked within for its new chief financial officer.

The city named gormer Finance Manager Debra Nawrocki to the job recently.

Nawrocki is a Certified Public Accountant with 30 years of experience in accounting, auditing and financial management, including a solid background specifically with the city of Elgin.

Not only has Nawrocki worked for Elgin as its finance manager for the past three years, but since June 2014, she has taken on the additional responsibilities for all the city’s financial operations as interim CFO.

“I greatly appreciate the opportunity to serve in this capacity,” Nawrocki said. “I am honored to work alongside the city council and city staff members to continue the tradition of strong government and responsible financial practices that are an integral part of this city.”

The Kane County Forest Preserve Commission has named Little Woods Forest Preserve in honor of former district president John Hoscheit.

Hoscheit, who stepped down as Forest Preserve District president in December and was named Illinois Commissioner of the Year by the Illinois Association of Park Districts in January, was given another sort of lifetime-achievement award Tuesday with a resolution naming the 162 acres along Route 25 in St. Charles as “Hoscheit Woods Forest Preserve.”

Kenyon said he might “take some heat” for renaming a Kane County forest preserve, but if so, it was heat he didn’t mind taking. Commissioner T.R. Smith pointed out that a few other forest preserves have been named after Forest Preserve presidents, noted local environmentalists and even the first employee of the Forest Preserve District, so “Hoscheit Woods” was appropriate and hardly precedent-setting.