I looked around the house and surveyed the steps that accompany such a transition ¬- such as placing a cover over the air conditioning unit, cleaning and storing the barbeque grill, and putting up hooks in the garage for my children's bikes.

Then I thought about the bigger transition in my life. This is the last column that I'll be writing for The Bolingbrook Sun. I'm moving over to the Bugle Newspapers.

And some of you may have heard that this paper recently won 21 journalism awards, including this column for "original column." I've got to say that this column has been original in that I've had original people, places and events to write about here in Bolingbrook.

Thanks to my editors: Dan Cassidy, for giving me the opportunity to share my opinion on these pages, Katie Foutz, for her editing touches, and a special thanks to all of you who took the time to read this column and occasionally drop me a line.

It's been a blast.

And I hope to continue to see all of you around the Brook.

A couple of weeks ago, I was at Fountaindale Public Library. I didn't have my glasses on, but I could vaguely make out the True Blood logo on a DVD case behind the librarian counter.

I asked if that was in fact True Blood, the librarian confirmed it. I then asked if I could check it out. She said I'd have to wait in line. The series had previous "holds" on it, people waiting for it to come in so that they could check it out.

Because it's such a new series (It's in its second season.) I didn't think of looking at the library for the first season, which I missed. Bolingbrook library has a pre-ordering system that automatically orders titles that librarians expect to be popular, so that a patron can conceivably get a title the same day that it's released in stores.

And while two months ago, I would not have thought that a column on vampires was warranted; however, everywhere I go I hear people talking about True Blood or Twilight, and they seem equally excited and devoted as I have become to the underworld.

"Vampires seem to be very popular right now," said library spokesman, Tony LuCarelli, "These things go in cycles and we just happen to be in one," he said. Last fall when the Twilight movie came out, the library registered over 500 holds on the book alone.

And so I ask my original question - what is it about vampires and us? For myself I'm too afraid to answer that question. But what I will say out loud is that I can't get enough of a mysterious vampire with a dark bravado. There it is, I said it.

And if you're looking for a titillating new release, you just might find it at the Bolingbrook Library...that is if you're willing wait a couple of dark nights.

See you around the Brook.

###

I thought this might be a good workshop to learn more about homeownership.
When I called I learned that the event is primarily for people who need immediate assistance with foreclosure prevention and seniors looking for reverse mortgages information.

"It's aimed at people who are in trouble," said Bob Kalnicky, executive director of Community Services Council. "We'll be there with our counselors helping people with pending foreclosures and people who are behind in their mortgages."

Last year about 75 to 100 people attended the workshop. This year the organization expects to see even more, with about 100 to 125 people expected.

A key strategy that attendees can expect to be offered at the workshop is loan modification, such as lowering a home's interest rate or changing the length of a loan. Some loans can be stretched from a 30-year to a 40-year structure, Kalnicky said.

"It's about getting it to a place where people can afford it," he said. "Banks are more negotiable now. They want to keep people in their homes, because they don't want the inventory."

And how are Bolingbrook families doing in the wake of the foreclosure crisis? Kalnicky said the real estate inventory in the village is growing, and that his office has yet to see a peak. Each month about 200 area families contact the council looking for foreclosure relief.

If you plan to attend the event, it's recommended that you bring current loan documentation, income verification and a list of your bills.

The class will be held at the Romeoville Rec Center, located at 900 W. Romeo Road, in Romeoville, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Aug 29. For more information, visit the company's website at thecsc.org.

I hope this helps. See you around the Brook.

###

At the beginning of the day everyone seemed quite happy.
There were parents smiling and taking pictures of their babies.
And there were children all dressed-up in their back to school gear.

It was a win-win for both kids and parents.

But by the end of the day, the parents were quickly reminded of all that goes along with children returning to school - school information to be consumed, forms to be filled out, PTA's to join or not join, play-dates to set and extra-curricula activities to pay.

So whether we're saying "hello" to a new school year and goodbye to summer camp, for parents it really doesn't matter. For us, there's really no break, whether the kids are coming or going.

It's really all the same.
###

But it was an opportunity to meet my neighbors as I knocked on their doors to invite them. I learned a lot about community involvement. People you expect to come - don't, and people you don't expect to come - do. And I really had some faithful neighbors to step in and help. Thanks to all of them.

Unfortunately, because of the rain the kids never got the chance to scale the wall or rattle around the trackless train. But I've got to say thank you to firemen Edgar Hughes and Pat Sperling of the Bolingbrook Fire Department. They may not know it, but they saved the day. During a tornado watch, they demonstrated to a crowd of children what it means to be a fireman, and the kids got a kick out of wearing their fire gear and looking through their engine truck.

And also thanks to Cocoa, the clown, who also braved the wet weather. She stood in my garage, dressed from head to toe in a clown costume and made the most amazing balloon animals that I've ever seen.

We're at the end of the summer and kids are headed back to school, but if you ever get a chance to plan or participate in a block party, do it. It's a chance to connect yourself to the community that is Bolingbrook.

###

This week it was Mayor Roger Claar.

I met with him about a story that I'm working on involving Illinois American Water Company. When I arrived at his office he wasn't there. His administrative assistant invited me into his office to wait.

When I walked in, I was taken by the spectacular ceiling-to-floor window view. As I took a seat at a table in his office, I glanced at the clock (as a had another appointment immediately afterward). I asked his assistant when would the Mayor be arriving. She said without looking at me, "The Mayor is a busy man." She seemed to say it in a tone that implied I had just accused her very son.

As I sat there I looked around the room. There I noticed a baseball hat collection strung from the ceiling and memorabilia and plaques nailed to the walls. There were also newspapers and magazines on top of the desk, table and filing cabinets - many with the Mayor's face and name on the cover. His space reflects a lifelong committment to service.

A few minutes later the Mayor came into the room and took a seat at the table next to me. The assistant sat his cup of coffee in front of him as though she were a waitress serving a faithful and longtime customer. I sat next to the Mayor and across from James Boan, the village attorney, a very knowledge man on the subject of village utilities.

And as always the mayor didn't disappoint. He answered my questions very direct and without hesitation, not a man known to mince words. And as I was about to leave he asked if I were now going from writing soft news (this column) to reporting hard news (water rate story).

I didn't mention to him my own dedication to service through community reporting, or that I was not a virgin to hard news. Hard news for me consist of covering the Jeffrey Dahmer serial murders; watching Cardinal Joseph Bernadine being accused of sexual abuse at a news conference; and winning the Illinois Press Association Award for reporting on the alleged misuse of TIF (Tax Increment Funding) in the City of Chicago.

What I like about doing soft news, or something like this column, is that it provides the opportunity to look into the lives of human nature, and I think that's important. See you around the Brook.

###

I attended the groundbreaking with all the usual local dignitaries, business leaders and library administrators. We all sat under a tent, sipped juice and ate cookies. And for me, it was nice and cordial, as these things tend to be, until Mayor Claar approached the microphone.

There he admitted that he was initially against the project, a project that bought all of these book-looking individuals to the tent on such a fine day. He used a familiar and quite cleaver quote: "I was against it before I was for it," he said. And everyone got a bit of a chuckle out of that.

I respect that he didn't get up there and make up some excuse as to why he didn't support the project, nor did even say why to the audience of library professional, but in January 2008 library administrators, said he publicly stated that he was against it. I called Claar to find out his initial reasons for begin against the project; however, he was unavailable for comment.

What I also admire about this project is that the people moved forward with their vision and prevailed. Claar himself alluded to this project taking a democratic approach.
"This is how our great country works," he said referring to the fact that although he was against it, the project managed to succeed. Because in February 2008, voters passed a referendum to build the new library.

The project was initially spearheaded in 2004 when library administrators invited a group of local residents to sit down as a focus group. Library officials ask the residents what would they like to see in a new library, said Tony Lucarelli, a spokesperson for the library. That group became the library's Citizens Planning Committee, the group who lobbied for the new library.

As a result, Bolingbrook will soon have a new $43.6 million LEED-certified (Leader in Energy Efficiency Design) library. Construction has begun and the new facility is expected to be completed in 2011. I say let's continue to turn the page on the democratic process. Who knows what's possible.

See you around the library.

###

And by the way, I'm still paying for summer camp.

I called the school and an administrative assistant told me that the fees were for printing cost such photo copies, paper and workbooks. Then I thought, they really shouldn't call it a "registration fee"; they should call it a "supply fee." But they couldn't call it that, because then parents would ask: then why am I running around town buying school supplies.

There are about 500 students at my local elementary school. If $40.00 is collected for each child, that comes to $20,000. Does the school really need $20,000 for photocopies?

Ordinarily, I would not question a school fee. But in this economy and in the spirit of conservation, I think the district should find better ways to conserve and not put unnecessary pressure on families. At the beginning of the school year, there are so many out-of-pocket expenses for parents. There are school clothes, new shoes, a long list of school supplies, book bags, lunch money, and perhaps before and aftercare cost.

If a family has multiple children, perhaps they should pay one fee for a household and not for each child. A family with three children is looking at $120 in fees. I would be interested in know exactly how schools are spending these fees. Are they using recycled ink cartridges and paper? Are they printing on both sides of the paper? I noticed that whenever I receive mail from the administration to my home, letters come in two different envelopes, one for each of my children. This is double the cost of postage and paper. That's wasteful. And I'm sure I'm not the only family that's experiencing duplication.

Registration fees haven't increased in 15 years, according to a press release from the school district. However, this year the board voted to increase fees for this year as well as next year. This is what families are asked to pay:

High School: will increase from $120 to $135 in school year 2009-2010 and $150 in 2010-11

Middle School: will increase from $85 to $90 in year 2010-2011 and $100 the year after. Their last increase was in 2003.

Elementary School: will increase from $30 to $40 in 2009-10 and $50 in 2010-11

Kindergartener: will pay $30 next year and $40 the year after.

I think holding to the same level is a good thing, but what about looking at ways to reduce the fee. In Chicago parents don't pay registration fees at all. And our current economy is worst than it was in 1993. There are more parents out of work. So even though it hasn't increased, that does nothing for a family if parents are out of work. I say not only look for ways to prevent an increase, look at ways to decrease.

The board should really take a hard look at parents and consider what they're expenses are at the beginning of the school year. It's a really tough time for families. This is 1993. It's worst.

###

Well, this weekend the Bolingbrook Chamber of Business is sponsoring the first Restaurant and Catering Expo. The event will be held from 12 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 25 at the Bolingbrook Promenade.

Sponsors for the event said there's going to be about 15 restaurants to sample.

"There's going to be a lot of good restaurants from around Bolingbrook," said Kris Kuchler, marketing director for the Promenade mall. "It gives everybody a tasting. It's kind of like a Taste of Chicago," said Kuchler. "It's the first and we're hoping that it will be the first of many," she added.

The event will be held in the former Circuit City space and will showcase different restaurants, some new restaurants like Longhorn Steakhouse and Andy's Custard and as well as some long standing spots like Branmor's American Grill and Tailgaters Sports Bar and Grill. The event will also include a chef demonstration and a kid's corner where kids can indulge in cookie decorating and crafting.

Mike Evans, executive director for the Bolingbrook Chamber of Business, hopes that the event is a "win-win" for both the local business community as well as local residents.

"Sometimes people don't go out of their boxes and this (event) gives them an opportunity to try our different restaurants," he said.

And just like the Taste of Chicago, food will be offered in sample sizes. Tickets can be purchased at the door. The average vendor is expected to sell their tasters for about three or four tickets, and tickets cost 50 cent each.

I'll be there looking for new eateries, especially those that cater to children. And if I happen to find any especially tasty place, I'll be sure to let you know. See you at the event.

#

Tickets for the show, which will be held at the Bolingbrook Promenade are available now through Thursday at pre-sell price. You can get pre-tickets for $20, a value of $24 (a four-dollar savings). On the day of the show, you have to purchase tickets individually at 50 cent a ticket.

The show, which is being called a "mini-Taste of Chicago," is being held in the former Circuit City space at the Promenade mall. You can purchase tickets at either of the village's Meijer's grocery stores or at the Promenade's guest services office.

See you at the show.
###

I later found out that the bill was correct, but it took the customer service representative to explain it several times to a very irate customer (me). She explained that the city of Bolingbrook buys its water from the city of Chicago, and that we have to pay for the water to travel to our homes. After that I began to look at my water usage in a different way, looking for ways to conserve.

Then this week I was on the village's website, and I found information about Bolingbrook's water conservation ordinance. It's a policy that mandates when and how residents should use water during the summer from May 1 through September 30.

The village's website states that outdoor water usage is restricted on lawns and landscape sprinkling to either odd or even days of the month, matching your odd or even numbered street address, and should be used mornings from 6-10 a.m., or evenings from 7-11 p.m.

In this age of green talks and economy issues, I thought this water conservation topic is something residents should know about. After all many of us are looking for ways to both save in our pockets and contribute to earth.

I called the village's public works department, and for some reason they responded as though I were the water police. They were uncooperative, and continuously told me that the person I needed to speak with was unavailable. In this day of cell phones, no one is unavailable unless he or she chooses to be.

I ended up calling the Mayor's office. He called me back. All I really wanted to know was if the water conservation ordinance was enforced? He said it was not. Previously, it had been, but when the village switched from using well water to using water from Lake Michigan in March 2001, the problem of adequate water supply was no longer an issue. However, the city left the ordinance in place because conservation was a good idea, according to Mayor Roger Claar.

"We left it on the books because we said we should still conserve," Claar said. It's just good business," he added. "So now we suggest watering (yards) ever other day." he said.

Some Bolingbrook residents, including this one, think that the current cost of water in the village is too high. And the costs are at their current level because we're paying some many entities. Residents pay a surcharge fee to the city of Chicago because Lake Michigan is in their jurisdiction. We pay a surcharge to Bedford Park because our water travels through their piping system, and of course we pay Illinois American Water Company its profit. They earn a 12 to 20 percent margin, according to Claar.

The good thing is that Bolingbrook, Plainfield and Homer Glen are currently in talks to acquire the Illinois water company, a move that could eventually lower customer water rates¬; however, the water guys aren't "willing participants," Claar said.

Although the proposed deal is a little ways down the road, hopefully it's something we can look forward to here in the Brook. And when I know more, I'll definitely let you know. Until then, I'll see you around.
###

They've never participated in any of the district's events, other than me taking them swimming. I was impressed with the professionalism of the camp leaders. Of course they all look like high schoolers and college level adults, but they seemed well trained and very aware of proper camp protocol and procedures. Whenever I asked a question, they had a ready answer.

I felt safe leaving my kids there. And that says a lot for this over-protective mom. If you haven't given the district summer camp a try, consider doing so. There's still a lot of summer to go.

###

AMF Bowling Lanes, located at 401 Boughton Rd is allowing kids to bowl two free games each day, all summer long, now through Aug. 31st.

"Were trying to provide a fun and safe place for families, especially in light of the economy," said Brian Spiller, general manager of the AMF. "And we're certainly having a lot of traffic, folks we haven't seen here before (because of the promotion)."

It's a nice place to take the kids on a rainy day, and there have been plenty of rainy days. To sign-up all you have to do is go to www.kidsbowlfree.com/amf and print your coupons. You get coupons for every day of the week.

If you think it's an event that you're going to participate in all summer, you might want to consider investing in bowling shoes for your family, because that's going to be your biggest expense. Shoes cost $3.75 per person to rent - this includes kids. And that can add up. You can purchase shoes at Andy's Pro Shop. They're an independent bowling store located at the bowling alley. You can pick-up shoes for kids for about $25.

I took my kids bowling this week, and as soon as we left, my daughter asked could we come back tomorrow. I guess I'll be investing in some bowling shoes myself.

AMF Bowling is open Mon to Thurs from 10 am to 11 pm and Fri. and Sat. from 10 am to 11pm. See you around the Brook, or perhaps even at the bowling alley.

###

The tournament started on Wednesday June, 24 and runs through Sunday, June 28, at Volunteer Park, which is just outside of the Park District's Aquatic Center. There are over 200 professional and non-professional teams expected to be dressed in gear and seen shooting one another in full paintball combat.

"There are teams coming from all over the country and world," said Keeley Watson a spokesperson for paintball sports promotions of San Diego, California, "We have games going on, on six different fields," she said. There will be teams from Russia, England and Mexico in appearance.

This is the show's fifth year in Bolingbrook, and it's free to the public.

"It's a cool visual show to watch," said Dan Leahy, a spokesperson for the Bolingbrook Park District. "There will be huge arenas on the field," he added. For people interested in getting into the sport locally, the park district sponsors annual paintball trips for teens ages, 12 to 17. The groups travel to Challenge Park Extreme near Wilmington, Illinois, in the fall and spring to get "their paintball fighting on."

In the sport, teams compete against each other in a "capture the flag" style approach. Players use paintball guns filled with gel capsules to "mark" their opponents. Once a paintball hits a player and "marks" them with paint, he or she is out of the game.

And if you're really, really into the sport you can pickup paintball paraphernalia at the show, as trade vendors are expected to be on-hand selling their wares. Hope to see you at the games.

###

My sisters and I were out this past weekend celebrating a relative's birthday. We had a nice dinner and wanted to go out to a local club to have a drink and listen to some music.

We tried three different places.

First we went to Tailgater's on Boughton Road. They were spilling out of the front door.
It just wasn't my type of spot. Then we went to Ditka's on Route 53, just north of Boughton. It was kind of quiet, and it lacked a band. Finally we ended up at Bar Louie's at the Promenade. The music was okay, the crowd was pretty young, and the drinks were really high and really watered-down.

Does anybody in Bolingbrook know where mature adults can go in Bolingbrook for a good drink and some nice music on a Saturday night?

If so, can you let me know?

See you around the Brook.