Maybe you noticed, if you drove Route 59 on May 9, a bunch of cops pulling over motorists. It was a safety initiative by 14 police agencies from Hoffman Estates to Shorewood. Get this--they even gave ample warning, notifying the media ahead of time (The Sun ran a story in advance) and putting up electronic message boards. All the same, this year's initiative--which targeted speeders and seat-belt scofflaws--netted 548 tickets. The kicker is, Naperville police issued nearly half--218--way more than any other participating agency. (Streamwood cops were second with 82 tickets.)
What does this say about Naperville police? Are they especially concerned about our safety, intent on generating revenue from ticket fines, or just driven to be No. 1 at every thing they do?
A couple stories in Wednesday's Sun update Indian Prairie School District 204's legal troubles surrounding Metea Valley High School. In one case, the district is being sued by the Brach and Brodie trusts, owners of the land near 75th Street that the district wanted, but abandoned after deciding the court-determined value was too high. Now the Brach trust says the district owes it $2.2 million plus damages for its portion of the property the district abandoned for a third high school, which would be in addition to the $12 million being sought by the Brodie trust.
Also Tuesday, representatives of the district and a group of parents who are suing the district and hoping to block construction of Metea on the Eola Road property met for a scheduled mediation conference that apparently proved fruitless. "I can only say that the mediation has concluded, there was no resolution, and there are no plans to meet again," said Shawn Collins, attorney for Neighborhood Schools for Our Children.
Both court cases continue in coming weeks. What's your reaction to the latest developments? What do you expect to happen next?
The Naperville Sun broke the story about the arrest of Nicholas T. Birkett, 21, the son of DuPage County State's Attorney Joseph Birkett, by Naperville police for possession of cannabis and drug paraphernalia. The younger Birkett faces a lesser charge--he was cited under a Naperville ordinance because he had no previous arrests or convictions, while two other men with him face state charges because they had previously been arrested.
What should be the response of the elder Birkett, a former Republican Party gubernatorial candidate who has been a tireless and ferocious prosecutor of narcotics dealers and drug-related crimes? If found guilty, what would be an appropriate punishment for the younger Birkett? What do you think of the arrest by Naperville police, who previously arrested Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar for DUI? (Claar was not convicted).
Naperville police have announced a stepped-up seat belt enforcement campaign. Through June 1, Naperville and other departments will intensify around-the-clock seat belt efforts. Statistics show about 18 percent of adults do not regularly wear seat belts. Are you among them? Have you ever been ticketed for failing to wear a seat belt? Will you plan to wear one now that you know police are stepping up enforcement? And here's a bit of trivia--what's the only state in America that does not require adults to wear seat belts?
Ever hit a pothole so bad you got a flat tire or sustained costly damage to your vehicle's suspension or alignment? We've been there, and we feel your pain. IDOT and Naperville crews are hitting the streets, roads and avenues this week, tackling a bumper crop of potholes caused by the harsh winter. Help us tell them where to look. Where are the bad potholes in the Naperville area? Share your horror stories about potholes past with us, and what you did about it. Did you seek compensation from a government entity because of damage? How did that go?
The first installment of real estate tax bills is due June 1 for many Naperville residents in DuPage and Will counties. Most homeowners pay the bulk of their real estate taxes to local school districts. Other taxing districts on bills are the city, county, township, park district, forest preserve, community college, and more.
How do your taxes this year compare to last? What about your assessment--how has the value of your home changed? A higher assessment can be a big part of the reason for higher taxes, though a taxing district's rate may have increased due to a referendum. How much are you paying, and are you getting your money's worth?
In today's Sun (Sun., 5.4) we spotlight the local effect surging food prices are having on Naperville shoppers. Some food stores are doing their best to juggle rising costs and consumer concerns, but they wonder how long they can last. Shoppers are worried, too, as we cite the plight of one mom who is making more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for school lunches and using less meat. No matter the product, our report shows how virtually every food stuff has risen dramatically in price, from bread to butter to kid juice-packs. We'd like to know how you're coping with rising food prices and whether it's impacting the menus that wind up either in the kids' lunch boxes or what goes on the table for dinner. Have you changed your grocery store buying habits? Tell us right here.
Representatives of Indian Prairie School District 204 and the group Neighborhood Schools for Our Children will sit down at the bargaining table May 13 in an attempt to mediate a lawsuit that NSFOC filed against the district. The group seeks to block the district from moving forward with construction of Metea Valley High School on the Eola Road site, saying the district has an obligation to buy the Brach-Brodie land and build there.
Will mediation work, or will this suit end up being litigated in court? What would be an equitable solution to the situation? Will the NSFOC suit end up being dismissed and will the district proceed with construction in hopes of opening Metea in August 2009? What about the other lawsuit the district faces for backing out of efforts to buy Brach-Brodie? How much in damages and legal fees will the district end up paying because of its court battles with the Brach and Brodie trusts? When all is said and done, will it end up costing the district more to build on Eola than if it had paid the court-determined price for the Brach-Brodie land?
For this post we feature an entry sent to us by Andrew Kriz, an alumnus of Naperville's Neuqua Valley High School and a law student at the University of Iowa. Andrew writes about a friend who was planning to go to Neuqua's prom tonight (5.2), but was denied the chance because he missed the deadline to buy a ticket. Are school administrators being too harsh? Or is this one of life's important lessons?
Friday's Sun profiles Robert Marshall, Naperville's interim city manager. Marshall, 54, a 30-year veteran of the Naperville Police Department, is in the running, and, some might say, has the inside track to replace Peter Burchard as city manager. How good of a job do you think Marshall is doing? Should the City Council give him the job and remove "interim" from his title, or continue with plans to conduct a nationwide search for a replacement?
Naperville expected to reap $2.4 million in new revenue this year by launching a red-light photo enforcement program that would automatically send tickets to people caught on tape violating traffic signal regulations. Now the city manager says the program is plagued with technical problems, and staff recommend the city council terminate a contract with a company administering the program.
What do you think of the plan to seek bids from other companies? Given this experience and problems with red-light cameras reported in other communities across the country, how wise is it for Naperville to commit to a program at this time? What about the revenue the city expected from the program--no doubt it will be less, maybe lost altogether. How should the council address the revenue shortfall?
Thursday's Sun features the story of Brianna DeSimone, a 17-year-old Neuqua Valley High School student who has struck up friendships with senior citizens. Joni Spurlock, 73, Aggie Carson, 89 and Rudy Bilotta, 94, live at Eagle Place in Naperville, a Senior Home Sharing residence. DeSimone visits, celebrates special occasions, shares gifts, and even brings by friends and boyfriends.
We thought this story captured the spirit of the Naperville community. What's your favorite story about or example of Naperville's generosity? Tell about how you or someone you know shared their time, treasure or talents with others.
