Kendall County news briefs

Frank J. Tieri

KENDALL COUNTY

PADS needs volunteers for overnight shelters

During the colder months of the calendar, 630 volunteers are needed to operate seven temporary shelter sites for Kendall County PADS, each of them open for one overnight of the week from mid-October to mid-April.

Most volunteers serve one or two times each month for four and a half hours. Some of the site coordinators serve every week.

Kendall County PADS usually retains about 90 percent of its volunteers each shelter season, leaving an annual need of 100 new recruits. But the number of returning volunteers is down this year.

In order to address its current shortage of volunteers, Kendall County PADS is considering lowering its age requirement from 18 to 17 as well as expanding its recruitment pool to include those needing to complete court-ordered community service hours.

Additionally, a 10-person volunteer recruitment team has been plastering social media with inspirational PADS posts; handing out brochures to local businesses; reaching out to churches, civic organizations, senior communities, and emergency/medical personnel; and keeping a database of all volunteers so they can be called on to meet emergency staffing needs at any of the sites.

Anyone interested in helping their homeless neighbors is invited to attend a new-volunteers training session from 6 until 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 3, at the Kendall County Health Department, 811 John Street, Yorkville.

A special invitation is extended to churches, public libraries, local businesses, PADS volunteers, the Caring Hands Thrift Store in Yorkville, and police departments, in addition to the county sheriff’s office, health department, and food pantry.

The two-and-a-half-hour training session will include an overview of PADS––how it operates each night and the integral role of volunteers. Attendees also will learn general operational procedures, how to address health issues, and the importance of kindness to the men, women, and children who come to the shelters.

New recruits will also receive a volunteer manual and be assigned to an experienced shelter coordinator who will serve as a mentor to them. The hope is that each person attending will be informed and would feel comfortable with their role in Kendall County PADS, should they be inspired to serve.

The session is free, refreshments will be served, and there is no commitment obligation.

First-time volunteers, however, are required to attend the training, which will also feature representatives of the Guest Assistance Program offered by social work interns from Aurora University. The GAP helps homeless guests with employment, personal issues, and permanent housing.

The shelters are scheduled to be open one overnight per week from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. starting on Oct. 20 and ending on April 18, 2020.

 

 Newcomers and Neighbors announce October luncheon

People new to the Fox Valley area or those seeking new social connections are invited to attend a luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at Fireside Grille, 49 Sugar Lane, Sugar Grove.

Social time begins at 11:30 a.m., with lunch served at noon. FVNN Board Member Barbara Young will speak about her recent experience traveling in Paris and Bordeaux, France.

Choose one entrée from the following:

  • Half of a Fire Grilled Chicken
  • Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon-Butter Sauce
  • 10 oz. Char Grilled Pork Chop
  • French Onion Meat Loaf

All entrée options include garden salad, bread and butter, vegetables, mashed potatoes, Non-Alcoholic beverages and vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Wednesday Special: Wine by the glass $6.

RSVP by mailing your $25 check, made payable to FVNN, to Marge Kaminky, 908 North Third St., St. Charles, IL 60174 (630-513-1948) Registration and payment must be received no later than Wed. Oct. 9

Be sure to note entrée choice on your check.

Man sentenced to 10 years for gun charges

Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis announced that Devon C. Fowler, 24, of Aurora was sentenced to 10 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections late last month for aggravated discharge of a firearm and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon as part of a negotiated sentence.

Judge Robert Pilmer accepted Fowler’s pleas of guilty to both offenses and the agreed upon sentence of 10 years. Fowler must serve 85 percent of the 10-year sentence before serving an additional two years of mandatory supervised release (parole).

Fowler was charged back in April 2017, when Deputy Chief Brad Delphey and Commander Scott Norwood of the Oswego Police Department were in a squad car when they observed a vehicle stopped in the middle of the street with Fowler standing outside the vehicle firing a handgun at another vehicle.

It was determined that Fowler fired approximately six to eight shots. They observed Fowler enter the vehicle after firing the shots and attempt to leave the scene.

Officers attempted to stop the vehicle when Fowler jumped out and fled on foot. Both officers pursued Fowler on foot and apprehended him as he hid under the deck of a nearby residence. Police collected shell casings and trace evidence from Fowler as part of the investigation.

A forensic scientist determined that Fowler’s hands contained gunshot residue from firing the gun prior to his arrest. It was determined that Fowler was a convicted felon at the time of this incident. Fowler was subsequently charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, a Class 3 Felony where he remained in custody until he was sentenced.

Weis commended the quick response by members of the Oswego Police Department in apprehending a dangerous criminal who had no regard to the safety of those in the residential neighborhood when he fired his gun multiple times.

Fowler was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Robert Dore. Attorney Victoria Chuffo represented Fowler.

New effort launched to address opioid crisis

The Deterra Drug Deactivation System Kit is used to safely dispose of unused medications.

On Sept. 24, the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office partnered with the Kendall County Health Department to launch the Deterra Drug Deactivation System Kit. The kit is used to safely dispose of unused medications.

The Deterra pouches neutralize unused organic medications in pill, liquid, or patch form. They are made of environmentally sound materials that are biodegradable. The Deterra deactivation kits can be picked up at the Sheriff’s Office located at 1102 Cornell Lane in Yorkville.

The Sheriff’s Office will also continue to offer the Drug Collection Unit for the disposal of unwanted, unused or expired medications, including all prescription medications.

The Deterra Pouches were distributed to the Sheriff’s Office and the Health Department though the Rx Abuse Leadership initiative (RALI) of Illinois.

The RALI comprises more than 20 health care, law enforcement, veteran, community and drug prevention organizations, all of which will work with the state leaders to support programs that promote the effective prevention, treatment, and recovery strategies.

Among the first efforts RALI Illinois will focus on is proper storage and disposal of prescription medications, which can help prevent misuse. As part of its launch, RALI Illinois is presenting 50,000 drug disposal pouches to partners and organizations who will distribute them to residents free of charge. The pouches are among the FDA-approved methods for disposing of unused medicines.

Executive Director and Public Health Officer Dr. Amaal Tokars added, “Accidental exposure to medicine in the home is a significant source of unintentional poisonings in the United States, every day over 300 children aged 0 to 19 years are treated in an emergency department. We are grateful for the 24/7 safe medication drop box at the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office and now also deeply appreciative that the Sheriff and his staff have partnered with us once again by sharing their safe medication disposal supplies.”

To learn more about RALI Illinois, visit www.rali-il.org.

MONTGOMERY

Nominations open for Halloween display contest

Entries now being accepted for the annual Halloween Display Contest. Residents can nominate their own property or someone else’s simply by submitting the property address visiting the address below. Nominations will be accepted through Oct. 20.

https://www.ci.montgomery.il.us/211/Beautification-Committee

Announces Fall bulk brush pick-up service

Montgomery Public Works Department will provide bulk brush collection during the week of Oct. 7.  To help ensure that we can continue to efficiently provide this service to Montgomery residents, the following rules have been established:

— Brush must be stacked neatly in the parkway by Sunday evening prior to the scheduled pick-up week. Crews will begin Monday morning and will make only one pass through each neighborhood. Brush that is blocked by parked cars or placed after Village crews have passed will not be collected.

— Brush should be neatly piled in one direction, unbundled (not tied), with the larger trunk portions or cut ends facing the street. Brush piles should not be taller than three feet high and should not obstruct the sidewalk.

— For safety reasons, branches must be no smaller than 1 inch—but no larger than 4 inches—in diameter and no shorter than 3 feet in length. Public works crews will not pick up piles that include bushes with roots and dirt attached, grape or other vines, lumber, plywood or construction materials (including but not limited to metal objects, concrete/stone chunks, etc.). Piles that are not neatly stacked or contain any of these items will not be picked up.

— Twigs, leaves and smaller yard debris need to be placed in yard waste bags for removal by the Village’s regular garbage hauling service.

— Bulk brush pickup is not intended to handle branches, logs or tree stumps as a result of large-scale tree trimming or removal.

— This service is provided to residential properties only. Public works crews will not remove brush from commercial, industrial or other non-residential properties.

— Brush must be placed on the parkway in front of the property from which it originates (Village of Montgomery Code, Section 9-45). Brush piled in the right of way behind your address, or brush not originating from the address where the pile is placed, will not be collected. Brush may be placed in the parkway for removal up to one week before the scheduled pick-up date.

— If your brush pile is not picked up, a tag will be left behind explaining the reason it wasn’t collected. You will then be required to adjust the pile to meet the requirements of the weekly collection by the refuse company.

The above rules apply only to the spring and fall bulk brush collection events.

Weekly brush collection is offered by the Village’s trash hauler, DC Recycling, on your regular trash day and has different rules.

For weekly brush collection by DC Recycling, bundles of brush/branches must be tied with juke twine, should not exceed 2-feet wide by 2-feet high and cannot exceed 4-feet in length or 50 pounds. Residents can put out an unlimited number of yard waste bags and properly bundled brush each week for no additional charge from April 1 to Nov. 30.

OHS Students invited to perform at Choir Festival

The Oswego High School A Cappella Choir has been invited to perform at the 2020 Music for All National Choir Festival, part of the Music for All National Festival, presented by Yamaha, in Indianapolis, Indiana, March 12-14, 2020.

The Oswego High School A Cappella Choir was selected by a panel of renowned choral conductors, by recorded audition, and is one of 73 high school and middle school choir, orchestra, chamber ensemble, concert band, and percussion ensembles from across the nation selected to perform at the 2020 Festival. Among these are 12 choirs representing the states of Washington, Texas, Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New York, and Florida.

The Oswego High School A Cappella Choir is under the direction of Frank J. Tieri, a choral conductor in his 31st year of music education and a three-time quarter-finalist (two-time semi-finalist) for the Grammy Music Educator of the Year Award.

The 40-voice A Cappella Choir has been a flagship choral ensemble, receiving numerous placing awards in Toronto, Chicago, Washington D.C., among others, and most recently at Festival Disney in Orlando. ACA, as they are affectionately known, have also received top honors for repertoire, choral sound, humanitarianism and even school spirit.

The choir is accompanied by Mac Willaert, a friend to the choirs at OHS and the ensemble director for the Glen Ellyn-Wheaton Chorale.

 

YORKVILLE

 Free Fall Fun happening at Yorkville Church

All area kids are invited to the Fall Festival at the Yorkville Congregational Church from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5.

Lots of free fun is planned, including games, hay rides and pumpkins.

There is no charge for admission and everyone is welcome.

The church is located at 409 Center Parkway, Yorkville, two blocks north of Route 34 and two blocks west of Route 47.

Flags of Valor sponsorship now open

The Yorkville American Legion Post 489 and the Veterans Outreach for Kendall County invite you to honor our nation and all of the veterans who have served with the 2019 Yorkville Flags of Valor as American Flags are displayed at Town Square during the week of Veterans Day.

Sponsoring a flag gives you the opportunity to recognize and honor a veteran in your life. A flag can be sponsored for $30 per flag and will include a keepsake ribbon and option to personalize a tag in honor of a veteran.  This flag will be displayed at Town Square (301 N Bridge, Yorkville) starting Monday, Nov. 4 to Monday, Nov. 11.

Ribbons and tags will then be mailed to designated address listed on form the week following Veterans Day.

Everyone is welcome to participate and support local veterans either through sponsoring a flag or donating to supposrt the hundreds of veterans in Yorkville and Kendall County as all proceeds will be donated back to the Yorkville American Legion Post 489.

To purchase a flag or make a donation, interested individuals can register online by visiting the village website,or print and complete the form and return to the following locations by Friday, Nov. 1:

United City of Yorkville City Hall, 800 Game Farm Road, Yorkville;

Yorkville Parks and Recreation Department, 201 W Hydraulic Ave. Yorkville;