DuPage County News Briefs

Chronicle Media

Auroa

Company considers bus service between Aurora, city airports

CoachUSA is conducting a feasibility study to see if there is a market for daily bus routes between Aurora and Chicago’s O’Hare International and Midway airports. The study also will explore price points, with the goal of costing less than other forms of transportation.

The bus would be tied to stops in DeKalb to serve Northern Illinois University students. Plans call for four or five buses a day, running up and down I-88 between the airports, Aurora and DeKalb.

CoachUSA runs buses to and from airports in New York, Chicago and Montreal, and also owns the popular MegaBus that runs inexpensive bus routes throughout the country. CoachUSA currently runs 18 buses out of Rockford to various locations, including the airports, and the DeKalb and Aurora routes could originate from there.

If the feasibility study pans out, the bus routes could start as early as August.

Lombard

Yorktown sporting goods store is victim in company’s bankruptcy

Yorktown Sports Authority is among about 140 stores nationwide set to close as part of the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The store is in Yorktown Center, 173 Yorktown Center, Lombard.

The Englewood, Colo.-based chain — owned by Los Angeles-based private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners — has filed for bankruptcy, citing $1.1 billion in debt and saying that its sales had slumped after it failed to keep up with consumer trends.

About one-third of the retailer’s locations will begin liquidation sales within days. Besides the store in the Yorktown Mall, other area stores include Illinois stores in Lake Zurich, Geneva, Schaumburg and the store in Water Tower Place in Chicago.

Wheaton

Get a cup of coffee at your next visit to library

While you are checking out a book, check out Wheaton Public Library’s newest feature: Café on the Park, a coffee shop.

Pete Leonard, owner of the Wheaton-based I Have A Bean Coffee, is running the business with John Persson, a friend with more than a decade of experience in food service.

I Have a Bean coffee is being served. Emphasis is on house-made food using local food suppliers.

The café’s hours of business are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays. The café has partnered with Wheaton College’s music program to offer students, staff members and local bands a new venue to perform. There are also plans to offer classes in the cafe about tea, coffee, brewing and espresso equipment. Once the weather gets warm, tables with umbrellas that overlook Adams Park will be available for patrons to use. The library is at 225 N. Cross St., Wheaton.

Elmhurst

Self-defense class teaches confidence, street awareness

Build your confidence and street awareness with a practical self-defense workshop.

The Elmhurst Park District invites the public to come to The Abbey, 407 St. Charles Road, Elmhurst, from 10-11:30 a.m. March 12 to learn simple, effective techniques against the most common unarmed attacks, as well as how to defend yourself with a stick or cane.

Movements will be low-impact and designed for adults and seniors who are new to self-defense. Those with physical limitations will receive individual instruction on alternate self-defense options. The instructor is a practicing attorney with more 20 years’ experience in Kenpo Karate, Krav Maga and Escrima, and will also address the legal ramifications of using self-defense.

Fee is $12 for Elmhurst residents; $15 for nonresidents. For more information or to register, call The Abbey at (630) 993-8193.

The Elmhurst Park District is an Illinois Distinguished Agency dedicated to promoting “lifetime enjoyment” by providing a variety of parks, recreation facilities, and affordable programs in the Elmhurst community. For more information, call (630) 993-8900 or visit www.epd.org.

Hinsdale

Central students are National Merit finalists

Hinsdale Central High School is proud to announce its National Merit Finalists for the Class of 2016.

The following students are finalists and have earned the National Merit Scholar distinction: Dana Ahdab, Benjamin Anderson, Anika Arvanitis, Ankush Bajaj, Shiv Bajaj, Steven Botsoe, Sunny Chen, Honor Crandell, Lauren Excell, Jahanavi Gaur, Elise Glaser, Rachael Han, Jacob Heiser, Ellen Jiang, Elizabeth Keller, Min Soo Kim, Kenneth Li, Brendan Ryan, Gabriella Seo, Ian Sokolowski, Lucia Ticho, Serena Tolani, Owen Voorhees, James Walker, Eric Wan, Matthew Yeh and James Zhou.

According to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, the finalists will have an opportunity to be awarded some 7,400 National Merit Scholarships this spring, worth more than $32 million. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition.

About 90 percent of the semifinalists attain finalist standing, with about half of the finalists winning a National Merit Scholarship.

Downers Grove

North High School has new principal for 2016-17

Janice Schwarze will serve as the next principal of Downers Grove North High School starting with the 2016-17 school year. Schwarze will take over for Scott Kasik, who is retiring after serving five years as principal and 37 years in education.

Schwarze has worked for District 99 since 2007. She joined the district as the chair of the English Department at Downers Grove South High, where she hired, mentored and evaluated teachers, developed curriculum and led the literacy coaching program. She also served as a key leader in the district’s adoption of the new English and Language Arts standards. In 2013, she was selected as North High’s associate principal for curriculum and instruction, leading all curriculum, instruction and assessment initiatives at the school.

Before coming to District 99, Schwarze was an English teacher at Glenbard East High School for 20 years. She holds a B.A. in teaching of English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an M.A. in English from Northwestern University.

District 99 conducted an extensive search and interview process to fill the principal post. Schwarze received positive reviews from staff members, students, parents and building leaders who were involved in the team interview process.