About 1,000 people participated in the District 308 School District “Unity in the Community” project during the four-day PrairieFest event in Oswego.

Aurora

Man faces child pornography charges

Aurora police secured 10 charges of child pornography possession against a 21-year-old man who was arrested last March during a sting aimed at men seeking to have sex with minors.

Carlos J. Zaca,  200 block of Bevier Place, Aurora, was arrested without incident Friday, June 23 at his home after the charges were authorized by the Kane County State’s Attorney. He is being held in lieu of $200,000 bail at the Kane County Correctional Center.

The latest charges stem from a forensic search of his cell phone which was seized during his March arrest. Hundreds of videos and pictures were discovered that contained sexual conduct involving minors.

Kendall County

Sheriff’s Office hires new patrol deputy

The Kendall County Sheriff’s Office has hired a new deputy sheriff to fill a vacant position in the Patrol Division. Jill Komives was sworn in on June 21 by Sheriff Dwight A. Baird.

Deputy Komives will be attending the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy beginning June 26, for a 12-week Basic Academy. Upon successful completion of the academy, he will begin the field training program. Komives will be paired with an experience Field Training Officer and will undergo a rigorous 12-week field training program.

Komives earned an associate’s degree from Moraine Valley Community College.

He was a member of the U.S. Navy where she worked as a K-9 handler prior to her employment with the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s deputy graduates academy

On June 22, Kendall County Sheriff’s Deputy Jose Franco graduated from the Police Training Institute Academy, located in Champaign.

Deputy Franco attended the 12-week, 480-hour basic police academy. The next step in the training process for Deputy Franco will be to complete the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office field training program.

Franco will be paired with an experienced Field Training Officer and will undergo a rigorous 12-week field training program, designed to put the knowledge acquired in the academy into practical use.

Franco earned an associate’s degree from Waubonsee Community College and was a member of the U.S. Army Reserves and worked as a security guard for Presence Mercy Medical Center in Aurora prior to his employment with the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office

Sheriff’s Office investigating shooting in Boulder Hill

On June 25, at approximately 6:05 p.m., Kendall County Sheriff’s Deputies, along with officers from surrounding agencies, responded to the 0-100 Block of Sierra Road, Unincorporated Oswego Township for a report of shots fired.

No one was injured in the shooting.

Four individuals were detained in reference to the incident. The individuals detained were located at Route 34 and Orchard Road, Oswego.

Officers investigating the incident gathered evidence on scene which will be sent to the crime lab for further processing. The incident remains under investigation at this time. There currently does not appear to be any danger to the public, and this incident appears to be isolated and associated with gang activity.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office at (630) 553-5856. Callers who wish to remain anonymous can contact Kendall County Crimestoppers at (630) 553- 5999.

The Sheriff’s Office received assistance from the following departments: Oswego, Yorkville, Montgomery, Kendall County CPAT, the Illinois State Police, Aurora, Kane County Sheriff’s Office, and EMA Search and Rescue Teams from Kendall County, Naperville and Aurora.

Oswego

Potter’s Place owners reveal plans for new location

The owners of Potter’s Place and Jimmy’s Grill in downtown Naperville released early renderings of their new Mexican restaurant planned for 63 Washington St. in Downtown Oswego.

The crowning feature of the plan is a 3,000-square-foot outdoor patio with a second story balcony, where patrons can look out over Washington Street and Downtown Oswego.

The patio will showcase lively music and entertainment for all to enjoy. The restaurant is seen as boosting the dining options available in Oswego’s downtown area.

“Downtown is the heartbeat of our community and we want it to be lively, vibrant, and strong,” said Village President Gail Johnson. “This project offers the perfect experience to bring our residents downtown. Once there, they will experience all of the other amazing places already here.”

The Oswego Planning and Zoning Commission will consider the development plan at its next meeting on July 6, at 7 p.m. Following a recommendation from the Plan Commission, the development plan and redevelopment agreement (RDA) will proceed to the Village Board for final approval.

The RDA will establish the development terms, including any necessary village incentives. The village of Oswego has a pending Revolving Loan Fund application with Kendall County to help finance this development deal.

On May 2, the Oswego Village Board approved an agreement with owner Andrew Trasatt to sell the property at 63 Washington St. for the purpose of redeveloping the underutilized property as a restaurant venue.

“We couldn’t be more excited about joining the downtown and being part of its exciting growth.  The enormous amount of positive feedback the restaurant has received from the Oswego community has been overwhelming,” said Mr. Trasatt.

Village hosts Community Conversations

In an effort to connect with our residents, join the Village Board and Staff at one of following dates to learn more about all that is happening in the Village of Oswego.

Topics will include details on village finances, the new police headquarters, Downtown Development, Metra, water sources and more. Connecting is also a two-way street; we encourage you to come with questions.

Dates include:

• July 11, 7 p.m. at Prairie Point Elementary, 3650 Grove Road, Oswego.
• August 8, 7 p.m. at Churchill Elementary, 520 Secretariat Lane, Oswego.

You do not have to wait to begin connecting. Residents can start right now by connecting with us on social media including Facebook & Twitter: Facebook at Village of Oswego, IL – Village Hall & Village of Oswego Police, IL Twitter @OswegoIL60543 or through our Everbridge emergency notification system, sign up on our website oswegoil.org. For more information, call (630) 554-4636.

District 308 seeks members for committees

The School District 308 Board of Education is seeking new members for its Finance and Operations, Policy Development, and Teaching and Learning Committees, established to help determine the future direction of the district.

Each committee is comprised of residents, parents and employees of School District 308. These committees evaluate current operations and develop recommendations for future improvements.

The committee meetings take place generally on a monthly basis in the early evening for approximately two hours. All committee meetings are open to the public.

“The Board Advisory Committees offer a wonderful way for the district to collaborate with members of the public and to ensure that District 308 residents and taxpayers are heard,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Sparlin said. “We have an opportunity to work together and offer recommendations to the Board of Education that can positively impact the school system.”

Ideal committee members are individuals with knowledge and/or experience in the committee area for which they apply. Although the advisory committee may suggest recommendations for the superintendent to bring before the board, the board will not be bound by them.

Individuals interested in serving on any of these advisory committees are asked to review the charge of each committee listed below and then complete the Information Form and submit it either online or in-person to the district office.

The Finance and Operations Advisory Committee considers district finances, operations, and business practices.

The Policy Development Advisory Committee reviews policies and oversees annual review cycles of Board policies, including student handbooks.

The Teaching and Learning Advisory Committee considers curriculum, staff development, student achievement and other similar topics.

Information forms for the committees must be received by July 12, 2017. Information Forms are available online at www.sd308.org/advisorycommittees or at the District 308 Administrative Center, 4175 Route 71, in Oswego.

Unity Project a success at PrairieFest

Community Unit School District 308 hosted a first time event called, “Unity in the Community.”

Participants in the special event got to tie a plethora of colorful strands of yarn to 32 posts placed in a circular arrangement within a large field. Each post was identified with a label, such as “I’m a parent,” “I speak English as a second language,” or “I love arts.”  As the different strands of yarn intertwined with one another, they formed a web of interconnectedness, allowing participants to see that, although they identify in different ways, they also have much in common.

“The Unity Project was an effort to engage everyone in an authentic opportunity to recognize, to appreciate and to learn about the experiences of the people who make up the community we all live in,” Community Unit School District 308 Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Sparlin said.

The project also featured an original song entitled “Love Back” created especially for the PrairieFest mainstage moment to accompany School District 308’s Unity Project.  This song was produced by Executive Producer Chace Nurse of “We-R-Music” and performed by Albert Deltoro and Nia Kelly, all former graduates of District 308.

Roughly 1,000 people participated in the “Unity in the Community” project during the four-day event. School District 308’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee hosted the extravaganza and considered the project a huge success.

“I was excited to see the months of planning and efforts by the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, students and district staff, along with the work of our volunteers being so well received by our community,” said DEI Coordinator LaTonya Simelton.

–Kendall County News Briefs–