Ribfest is arguably the biggest summer festival around, with big-name entertainment and lots of food and lots of people. Love it? Hate it? Don't care either way? It's still Naperville's signature Fourth of July event, and a destination for many thousands this weekend.
So, what's your Ribfest experience? Good or bad, we want to hear about it. What could organizers do to improve it?
It's called Article 36, and it allows authorities to seize vehicles in 48 different instances in which offenders commit a crime, including driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license or transporting more than 10 cartons of cigarettes. (We are not making this up.)
As Wednesday's Sun reports, they've had tremendous success lately taking vehicles away from criminals in DuPage County. What about the Constitution? Isn't there something in the Fourth Amendment about unlawful search and seizure? OK, maybe this doesn't violate the letter of the law, but it certainly tests the spirit. Does the punishment fit the crime, in your opinion, when authorities can seize vehicles like this?
One word about this thread: Let's keep the discussion focused on the legislative aspect of this question, and not enforcement. We've had plenty of threads lately about police. Let's talk about the lawmakers who created this legislation, and the courts that have upheld it.
Members of Naperville's East Central Homeowners Organization say they're having cordial discussions with Chris Cobb and Susan Wilke, a couple who last year bought the historic 1890s Hammerschmidt mansion at 432 E. Chicago Ave. The owners - who live next door - are aware of the home's historic character. But preservationists say that while the house may be structurally sound, it's neglected and may need up to $500,000 to fix it up. For now, the owners say they just don't know what they'll do with the property, but that they'd be willing to sell it for what they paid for it -- an estimated $770,000.
How do you think this story will turn out? Will someone step forward, buy the home and invest in the repairs? The home isn't protected as a local landmark, and the city says it can't get involved in preservation efforts, so it's possible the home's days could be numbered. Teardowns are common in this town, no need to tell you that.
In general, how well do you think Naperville is preserving parts of its 176-year history?
Sunday's Sun features a story about a couple of Naperville-area Realtors who bought one of those conversion kits that make a diesel engine run on vegetable oil. At $4 a gallon for gas and even more for diesel, they figure the $1,000 kit will pay for itself in a matter of months.
What are you doing to save money on gas? Driving less? Looking to trade in that SUV for a compact? Rethinking that summer drive to the Grand Canyon? How are you coping with the high gas prices? And how do you pay for gas--cash or credit?
Potluck wishes to extend a big shout out to Stuart Meyer, who has an exhibit of downtown Naperville photography opening Saturday. "Portraits of Downtown" will be on display through July 28 at Art and Frame Naperville, 702 W. Fifth Ave. Admission is free and open to the public. Ten percent of exhibit-related sales proceeds will be donated to the Naperville Art League.
Meyer is creator of the World of Naperville blog, www.naperville.wordpress.com, and he writes about his town as the Naperville Examiner on Examiner.com
A reception for the "Portraits of Downtown" opening takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Art and Frame Naperville, www.artandframenaperville.com.
Check out his pictures, and you'll see that despite all the changes and new construction in downtown Naperville there are still some fine examples of late-19th and early 20th century architecture to be found.
What's your favorite example of architecture in Naperville? The old city hall-turned-La Sorella di Francesca? Buildings at the corner of Jefferson & Washington? Maybe you like more modern fare, outside of downtown (not featured in the exhibit), like the "N" building by the tollway. Hey, even the Riverwalk counts as architecture. Maybe there's a private residence you particularly admire. Tell us about it, and why you like it.
If you're a glass-half-full person, you can view the construction bidding process for Metea Valley High School with optimism and say that Indian Prairie School District 204 is on track to build the school for $4 million less than the $101.7 million estimate.
But if you're a glass-half-empty person, you'll be concerned to hear that the lowest bid for the electrical work came in $4 million -- or 50 percent -- more than expected.
Among the complications and concerns cited by potential and actual bidders: obtaining bonding; the massive size of the project and the relatively short amount of time they'd have to complete it; and subcontractors struggling to work around each other and complete their respective projects in the same areas of the building at the same time, a story in today's Sun reports.
These sound like predictable problems given the timetable to open by August '09.
One hopes all stays on track and the building comes in on time and under budget. (Mind you, change orders tend to alter the actual costs quite a bit by the time all is said and done. Sometimes change orders reduce costs. Usually not.)
What do you think: How likely is it that Metea will open on time and within budget?
Sure, of course you do. That stuff you read/hear about would never happen to you, because you monitor what your children do online. That's why there's no need for you to go to tonight's Internet safety meeting in Naperville for parents, right?
Let's do a quick poll: How many of your kids have MySpace or Facebook accounts? Ever had to order your kid to remove a photo from one of those sites? Ever consider they might be creating additional accounts and hiding them from you?
Do you let your child have a computer in his/her bedroom, with a web cam? That's just asking for trouble.
How about cameras on cell phones? It's becoming quite common for kids to take nude pictures of themselves or their friends and send them electronically to each other, as pranks, or sometimes to spite someone. Have you ever asked to look at the pictures stored in your kid's cell phone?
Just a few thoughts. Creepy predators using the Internet to lure kids is so 2004. Nowadays, it's more about how kids are using technology to embarrass themselves and their families.
Chicago has the Picasso, among others. In Naperville, it's Dr. Seuss. The City Council recently agreed to spend $115,000 to have a "Green Eggs and Ham" statue installed outside the 95th Street Library.
Funding comes from the Special Events and Cultural Amenities fund, which amounted to $2.57 million last year and comes from a citywide 1 percent tax on food and beverages. Century Walk, which is putting up the Seuss statue, received $274,000 in funding total this year.
What say you? Is public art a good thing that enhances the aesthetic value of a community and shows its deeper appreciation for the finer things in life? Or do you think it's not needed, that it's a luxury that should be financed via the private sector instead of by tax money?
Naperville Mayor A. George Pradel and others addressed the Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation Saturday about encouraging residents to visit local attractions instead of heading out of town, what with today's gas prices.
With festivals, concerts and destinations like Centennial Beach, the DuPage Children's Museum and Naper Settlement, there is a lot to do in town. What's your favorite summertime event/activity/destination in Naperville?
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