The City of Yorkville is getting ready for its annual Holiday Celebration Downtown on Saturday, Nov. 18 to kick off the holiday season.

Kendall County

Two charged with prostitution at massage parlors

Both the village of Oswego Police and the Kendall County Sheriff’s departments made arrests this week as a result of ongoing investigations into alleged prostitution and business licensing violations occurring at local massage parlors.

Oswego Police charged FengJu Li, 46, 100 block of Hillstone Road, Montgomery, with prostitution and aiding and abetting unlicensed massage. Both charges are misdemeanors.

The Kendall County Sheriff’s Department charged Xiuhua Liao, 52, 5300 block of Route 34, Oswego, with prostitution and unlicensed massage.

Li was arrested by Oswego police on Wednesday, Nov. 8, at Dream Spa, located at 10 E. Merchants Dr., Oswego. Li, who is the owner of Dream Spa, was later released on a recognizance bond and has a pending court date of Dec. 4.

The village of Oswego also issued an ordinance ticket to the business for a building occupancy code violation. The business registration is suspended until the violation is resolved.

Kendall County Sheriff Deputies arrested Liao on Thursday, Nov. 9, at Lavender Therapy, located at 5375 Route 34, in unincorporated Oswego. Liao, an employee of Lavender Therapy, was released after posting a bond of $1,500, 10 percent to apply, with a pending court date of Nov. 28.

Both departments encourage anyone with information about these or similar illegal activities to contact their local department.

Information may also be reported to Kendall Crime Stoppers at (630) 553-5999. Callers remain anonymous and tips leading to arrests are eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.00

Sheriff’s Office K-9’s to receive monthly donations

Beginning in November, the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office K-9 program will be receiving monthly donations from Country Comfort Boarding and Grooming out of Yorkville.

These donations will cover fees incurred for food, grooming, and training cost. Owners of Country Comfort, Correy and Sarah Krickeberg, have been in the business of boarding, grooming and showing prize dogs for over 20 years.

“Giving back to the K-9 communities is something we take great pride in so partnering with the local law enforcement K-9 program was a way we could achieve that goal”, said owner Correy Krickeberg.

“Forming partnerships with local businesses throughout the communities that the Sheriff’s Office serves is vital in helping keep the citizen of Kendall County safe and secure,” said Sheriff Baird.

Oswego

Young Hearts for Life Program benefits local students

The Young Hearts for Life (YH4L) Cardiac Screening Program identifies high school and college students at risk for sudden cardiac death. Each week sudden cardiac death claims the lives of more than 60 young adults in the United States.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and in Illinois. YH4L, under the guidance of Dr. Joseph Marek, a clinical cardiologist, seeks to detect young adults at risk for sudden cardiac death, and increase community awareness of this devastating problem. YH4L does this by providing free ECGs that can identify those heart conditions that can cause sudden death.

The free screening event will be held at Oswego East High School on Nov. 30. Screening consists of a quick, simple, painless ECG. Volunteers attach electrodes to the students’ chest and limbs in preparation for the ECG.

The ECG machine monitors the electrical activity of the heart and prints out the information about heart rate and rhythm. A trained cardiologist then interprets the printed ECG. All Oswego East High School students with parent/guardian permission will be screened. Information on how to register a student or volunteer for this great event can be found below.

To register your Oswego East High School Student go to www.YH4L.org and click on the drop down button that says Registration & Events.  Click on Chicago Metropolitan Region and then choose your child’s school.

Parent and community volunteers are needed.  The screening is offered during the school day.   All volunteers must attend one of the training sessions on Nov. 29.  Go to the invitation page on SignUp.com

Community Christmas Walk schedule announced

The 2017 Oswego Christmas Walk, presented by Jewel-Osco, returns to downtown Oswego on Friday, Dec. 1. This beloved community event offers tons of free family fun and showcases the fabulous, festive offerings of unique downtown Oswego shops for residents looking to shop local as they cross items off their holiday gift-giving lists.

The event runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and kicks off this year with a return to tradition: the annual tree-lighting ceremony, once again on the same evening as the Christmas Walk. The Village’s tree will be lit with a theatrical ceremony starting at 5:30 p.m. in front of Village Hall, officiated by Village President Gail Johnson and The Grinch.

All along Main Street, from 5 to 9 p.m., join in on tons of free activities for the young and young-at-heart, including crafts and games to the faux ice skating rink, ice sculpture demonstrations, holiday-themed improv comedy, and strolling carolers. Get your photo taken on Santa’s lap at The Garden Faire beginning at 5:30 p.m., take a ride on the Toyland Train, meet a real reindeer, drop off your letters to the North Pole, and take a slide down the giant inflatable sled hill.

When little fingers and noses get chill, warm up inside Village Hall, with Christmas stories told by the real fireplace, a hot chocolate fundraiser for the Oswego Senior Center and live music around the piano from Fox River Academy of Music and Art. Then go for a Belgian draft horse-pulled wagon ride along Parkers Mill.

At 7:30 p.m., make way along the crowded and festive Main Street for the Silent Illuminated Fire Truck Parade, featuring Anna and Elsa and other holiday celebrities.

As always, Oswego’s holiday festivities continue into the next morning, with the annual Breakfast with Santa, brought to you by the Oswego Rotary Club, the Oswego Family YMCA, and Allied First Bank on Saturday, Dec. 2. Get another opportunity to meet Santa, over pancakes and other tasty breakfast offerings.

The Cookie Walk tradition, hosted by downtown Oswego businesses, also returns Saturday morning for a uniquely Oswego experience – remember to buy your tins ahead of the event for just $10 at participating shops all along Main Street.

Yorkville

Yorkville Holiday Celebration

Join the United City of Yorkville at the Holiday Celebration Downtown Events at Riverfront Park for a Holiday Parade starting at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18.  A Tree Lighting Ceremony will follow the parade and end with everyone’s favorite, fireworks.  For more information on the Holiday Celebration Downtown Events, please contact the Yorkville Parks and Recreation Department at 630-553-4357.

Holiday Parade (5:30 p.m.)
The parade will begin at the Eastern end of Hydraulic Ave near the Yak Shack, proceed West down Hydraulic Avenue, and end at Route 47. We ask all parade spectators to view the parade on the North side of Hydraulic Ave along the sidewalk of Riverfront Park. For questions or more information, please contact the Yorkville Parks and Recreation Department at 630-553-4357

Tree Lighting Ceremony
(Immediately After Parade, Approximately 6:15 p.m.)
The Tree Lighting Ceremony is a long-standing Yorkville tradition with Mayor Gary Golinski and Santa Claus lighting a decorated tree within Riverfront Park for the Holiday Season!  The Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place immediately after the Holiday Parade at approximately 6:15 p.m.

Fireworks Show
(Immediately After Tree Lighting, Approximately 6:30 p.m.)
The Fireworks Show immediately follows the Tree Lighting Ceremony approximately around 6:30 p.m.  The fireworks will be shot off over the Fox River near Riverfront Park (131 E Hydraulic Ave, Yorkville).

Yorkville students excel on standardized tests

The Illinois State Board of Education released the Illinois School Report cards on October 31. This annual publication explains district, school, and student performance on state standardized exams.

The 2017 Illinois School Report card includes data from the first state administration of the SAT test and the third state administration of the PARCC test. The SAT is given to students in grade 11 and the PARCC assessment is given to students in grades 3-8.

The results showed that the percentage of Yorkville students who meet or exceeded state benchmarks grew more than five percent from the previous year, outpacing the state average of 1 percent growth.

District 115 saw its best student performance on the PARCC assessment since the test began. Additionally, SAT results indicated that Yorkville High School’s eleventh-grade students performed in the top third of all Illinois high schools.

Later this month, District administration will share the results of the 2017 Report Card with the Board of Education, highlighting the academic growth and progress of Yorkville students.

“District 115 has much to celebrate as we continue to see very positive overall growth and achievement as a district,” said Superintendent Dr. Timothy Shimp. 

“Although these tests represent a snapshot of the overall performance of our students, District 115 uses the data to reflect on the learning and teaching methods across all our grade levels. The District 115 faculty, staff, and administration continue to demonstrate a high commitment to continued growth and improvement, and will work tirelessly to meet the unique needs of all students.”

Ways to help The Yorkville Educational Foundation

It doesn’t take much to make an impact on the Yorkville CUSD 115 community. Here are three ways to give through the Yorkville Educational Foundation.

Amazon Smile
Amazon Smile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Yorkville Educational every time you shop, at no cost to you.  Click here to start shopping or go to smile.amazon.com and select Yorkville Educational Foundation as your charity of choice.

#IL Give
This year YEF is participating in Giving Tuesday through the #ilgive program. After Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday (Nov. 28) helps remind people to support their community organizations. #ILGive is a campaign to engage Illinoisans in participating and giving to organizations in communities where they live.
Currently, the Yorkville Educational Foundation is the only local Yorkville non-profit participating. Illinois residents proudly gave more than $11 million to the #ILGive initiative last year. Go to  https://www.ilgive.com/organizations  to find out more.

Join the YEF Board
The Yorkville Educational Foundation is seeking community-minded individuals to join its Board of Directors. New directors have the opportunity to shape the strategic direction of YEF through fundraising and community involvement. YEF’s ambitious slate of projects for the upcoming year requires a full board. If you are someone who has the passion to positively affect the Yorkville CUSD 115 community, they want to hear from you. Apply here: https://www.yef115.org/board.

If you are interested in other opportunities with the Yorkville Educational Foundation or have questions, please visit  www.yef115.org  or email YEF President Alicia Lingane at alingane@yef115.org. 

–Kendall County News Briefs–