Board of Trustees Municipal Complex Chosen By American

The official publication of the Village of Itasca
May 2007
Claudia “Gigi” Gruber
Mayor
Board of Trustees
Carole Schreiber
Village Clerk
Municipal Complex Chosen By American
Institute Of Architects As One Of The :
" 150 GREAT PLACES IN ILLINOIS "
combined Village Hall and
police facility was one of only
fifteen AIA nominations for
government buildings.
Jeff Aiani
Tom Reynolds
Mike Latoria
Jeff Pruyn
Ellen Leahy
Ron Putzell
On March 22, 2007, The
American Institute of Architects
(AIA) released the names of its
150 Great Places in Illinois. The
AIA selected not only individual
buildings, but parks, plazas, riverfronts, bridges and even streets.
Among the 150 recognized places
are Wrigley Field, the Illinois State
Capitol Building, Galena's Main
Street, Marina City and Millennium
Park in Chicago. You may be surprised to hear this, but our new
Itasca Municipal Complex has
been selected as one of the 150
Great Places in Illinois. I believe
this honor is something for which
the entire Village can be proud.
Despite the famous architectural
wonders nominated throughout
Illinois, the AIA also wanted to
support architectural greatness
that may not be generally
acknowledged by the public. The
Itasca Municipal Complex is one
of the most recently built of the
150 Great Places. Completed and
dedicated in August of 2005, the
Our municipal complex stands
in the midst of the beautifully
wooded Springbrook Nature
Center arboretum. This obviously gave the Village some
challenges and opportunities.
Consideration was given by
Village officials, community members and the architects to relocate
trees and wildlife habitat from the
building site. The complex, constructed of brick, wood and stone
throughout the interior and exterior of the building, gives it a natural feel that accomplished what all
architects intend: to create a
structure that complements its
surroundings. The AIA jury for the
selection of the 150 Great Places
in Illinois commented on the
Itasca Municipal
Complex. They
said, "This looks
like a building
you would hope
to find in the
Chicago
area
and the Midwest.
It is a blend of
modern architecture
with
Midwestern
prairie style and skillful details."
The AIA required that each of the
150 Great Places would be available
The Village News
to the public. They indicated further that
they wanted people to experience the richness that architecture provides for the state. They
also stated that, "The Village
of Itasca Municipal Complex,
envisioned by Itasca's officials, presents an exceptional illustration of AIA's
core mission; Great Places
Make Great Communities.
The AIA's 150 sites help
bring awareness to architectural design, in
both the historical context like the Old State
Capitol completed in 1837 and in the modern outlook, such as the Itasca Village Hall,
completed in 2005."
The Village of Itasca is extremely proud and
humbled that our Municipal Complex has
been chosen as one of the 150 Great Places
in Illinois. When Village officials began planning this much needed facility, we wanted it
to represent the character of this community.
We also wanted it to fit in with, and even
enhance, the site it was built on. Finally, we
wanted it to be able to serve us all for years
to come. The site, the prairie design and the
space that accommodates community
events throughout the year has made our
goal a reality. Despite early trepidation and
concerns, we have been encouraged and
gratified by the positive community
response since the opening of the facility.
We are proud, and thankful to you, that
our decision to build this complex has
been recognized.
May 2007
The Village News
Movie Under The Stars
Are your ready for another year of great family entertainment? Well we are and happy to
announce this year’s movie line-up.
✩ May 19
✩ June 23
✩ July 28
✩ August 18
✩ September 8
CARS
OPEN SEASON
THE INCREDIBLE MR.
LIMPET
OVER THE HEDGE
PIRATES OF THE
CARIBBEAN: DEAD
MAN’S CHEST
All movies are on Saturdays starting just
after dusk in Usher Park (rain date is the
following Sunday). Concessions are available
supporting the Friends of Spring Brook
Nature Center. If popcorn and other great
goodies are not your thing, the Walnut Street
Deli Hot Dog Cart will be there with their
famous Deli Dog.
✩Watch for further
announcements
regarding any premovie activities.
May 2007
Village Street Lights
We want to
hear from you!
Is the Street Light in your
neighborhood out?
The Village maintains over 1000
street lights within the Village, but
some are provided by ComEd. If the
light is located on a wooden pole, it is
maintained by ComEd and should be
reported directly to them. The best
way to identify the location is to provide
them with the pole number which has metal
numbers attached to the pole. The number
is most often numbers and letters in two
rows, and is read as xxx over xx. Identifying
the location in this way helps speed up
repair.
If the light is on a concrete, aluminum, steel
or fiberglass pole, it is most likely one of
those maintained by the Village. Please call
the Department of Public Works at 7732455 to report it. The number is the same
after hours, and you may leave a message.
We will make the necessary repairs as soon
as possible.
5/07
ORCHARD STREET MARKET
The Orchard Street Market is opening for
business on Wednesday, June 6, 2007,
from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The market is located
on Orchard Street between Walnut and
Maple just north of Irving Park Road (in
front of the Itasca Metra Station). We will
be running weekly thru September 26, 2007
(except July 4th).
page 2
www.itasca.com
www.itasca.com
page 15
The Village News
Furnace humidifier
Irrigation system leak
Outside hose left on
Excessive water use (washing of cars,
power washing the house, watering the
grass, plants, etc.)
House guests (visiting for a week or two
or even longer, extra showers, laundry,
dishes, etc.)
You can check to see if you have a leak by
looking at your water meter. If you know
that all of the faucets are off and the meter
is moving, you have a leak. Start by checking the toilets, this is the most common
problem, then listen throughout the house
(inside and out) to hear if you have
water running. If you cannot determine the cause, call the Public
Works Water Division at 630/7732455 to schedule an appointment
for
a
leak
investigation.
Appointments are scheduled from
7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday
thru Friday at no charge to the
homeowner.
May 2007
Name the Mascot!
The Public Works Department is holding a
contest to name our mascot. Our tiger is
very friendly and cannot wait to meet all of
you during the many events throughout the
year. We are having a very hard time naming
him, so we need your help.
All you have to do is fill out this form and
drop it off at Village Hall, 550 W. Irving Park
Rd, or Public Works, 411 N. Prospect Ave.
Prizes will be awarded to the winner during
Public Works Week.
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!
Name the Mascot:
Your Name:
Address:
Age (16 and under please):
All entries must be submitted by Friday, May 18, 2007
page 14
This year we will
have a D.J. playing a variety of
music
weekly,
special
events
and new vendors
throughout
the
season. We hope
all of you can join
us on Wednesdays for great produce, vegetables, breads, cheeses, specialty items, and
other home-made goodies.
www.itasca.com
May 2007
Remember, that there is no parking on
Orchard Street on Wednesdays during the
market from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Cars
will be ticketed and towed at the owner’s
expense. There is plenty of parking in the
municipal lot (by 7-11) and on the street.
Metra parking is located on Irving Park Road
just west of the train station. During the
market only, you may use the permit parking
lot on Maple.
Hope to see all of you shopping at the
Orchard Street Market.
If you would like to participate or need more
information regarding the market, please
call Village Hall at 630/773-0835.
“FIGHT LIKE A GIRL”
I have a new home, now I need a name!
Phone Number:
The Village News
No woman is immune from an assault; yet
few are prepared to fend off an attack.
Consider the following sobering statistics:
Every two minutes a woman is sexually
assaulted in the United States; nearly 80% of
all sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows and one in four college
women will be the victim of a sexual assault.
As parents, we want to provide our daughters
with the very best of everything, and yet we
often overlook the very thing most women
will need to survive: How to fight off a male
attacker.
The Itasca Police Department wants to
change that, and invites you to participate in
an innovative self defense program entitled
“Fight Like A Girl.” “Fight Like A Girl”
is designed to teach women how to use their
physical strengths against the weaknesses of
a male attacker. Brought to you in concert
with Focus Martial Arts and Fitness, this
female only self-defense program provides
valuable, hands-on experience in fighting
off male attackers. Through this program,
students will learn how to find their inner
power and fighting spirit and learn how to
become the victor in life instead of
becoming a victim:
Location:
Village of Itasca Municipal
Complex, Second Floor
Date:
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Time:
6:30 P.M. to 9:30 P.M
The free class, designed for junior and senior
high school girls and college bound women,
is limited to the first 25 applicants. Give
your daughters the gift of life once again.
Teach them how to “Fight Like A Girl” and
win! To sign up or obtain additional information, please contact Crime Prevention
Officer Rick Brogan at 630-228-5705.
www.itasca.com
page 3
The Village News
Traffic Management
Committee
During the recent Shape of Itasca Town
Meeting, several questions arose regarding
traffic on neighborhood streets. Like so many
communities in the Chicagoland metropolitan
area, Itasca has its share of traffic issues.
In addition to cross town and commercial
congestion, residents often complain of
speeding autos and other traffic related
issues within their own neighborhoods.
Expressions of concern for the safety of
children, disabled and elderly citizens are
common. From the number of complaints
the Itasca Police Department receives, one
could easily be convinced that most drivers
choose to disregard our traffic laws. In
truth, the overwhelming majority of
motorists are law abiding and safe drivers
who become victimized by the few who are
not.
In 2005, the Village of Itasca created a
Traffic Management Committee to address
many of the traffic related issues that occur
in our neighborhoods.
The Traffic
Management Committee is comprised of the
department heads from the Village which
represent all the disciplines associated with
this activity (environmental, urban planning,
engineering, public safety, public works and
public utilities).
Concerned citizens interested in initiating a
traffic management review should notify the
Itasca Police Department in writing of the
complaint.
The Traffic Management
Committee will review each request or complaint to determine whether the request or
complaint will be addressed by increased
enforcement, traffic control improvements
or whether the area is a candidate for traffic
calming improvements or a combination
thereof. The person or group making the
original request or complaint will be notified
May 2007
in writing by the chairperson of the Traffic
Management Committee of the actions the
Village intends to take regarding the request.
Any traffic management policy cannot be all
inclusive and must leave room for professional
judgment and special circumstances. It is
intended, though, that the Traffic
Management Committee will make traffic
control decisions easier, more efficient and
more objective and fair.
For more information on the Traffic
Management Committee, please feel free
to contact me at 773-1004 or via e-mail at
[email protected]
Scott Heher
Chief of Police
Oversize Pick-Up
Appliance pick-up must
be called into Allied
Waste (708/345-7050)
before the next scheduled pick-up.
The Village News
venience,
H y a t t
P l a c e
Chicago
o f f e r s
complimentary
shuttle
service to/from O’Hare airport or anywhere
within a five-mile radius. For reservations or
additional information, contact (630) 8751400.
Holiday Inn to Convert to Crowne Plaza
The
Itasca
Holiday
Inn
Holidome and Conference
Center on Irving Park Road has
recently come under completely new ownership and
management and late this
year will be converted into
a totally renovated Crowne
Plaza Hotel. The Holiday
Inn will be closed for a short time during
construction and will reopen totally renovated with completely new rooms, common
areas as well as a new on-site restaurant.
These changes represent a welcome investment in Itasca and the Village looks forward
to sharing more information about these
changes as the project progresses.
PUBLIC WORKS WEEK
May 20 to 26, 2007, is National Public Works
Week and Itasca Public Works Department is
celebrating by having an open house on
Wednesday, May 23rd from 5:00 to 8:00
p.m.
Public Works, located at 411-415 N.
page 4
www.itasca.com
Prospect Avenue and the
Wastewater Treatment Plant
located at 1001 E. Schiller
St. will have tours and events
highlighting some of the
things that we do to keep the Village’s water
systems and infrastructure running as
smoothly as possible. Our mascot will be
there to greet our residents and have a special treat for the kids. Shuttle service is
available between Public Works and the
Wastewater Treatment Plant during the
event. Hope to see all of you there for a fun,
free family night.
The following is the schedule of events:
Wastewater Treatment Plant:
Plant Tours: 5:30, 6:15, and 7:00 p.m.
An appearance by our Mascot
Public Works Facility:
Garage Tours:
5:15, 6:00, 6:45, and 7:30 p.m.
Tapping demonstration:
6:30 p.m.
Equipment demonstrations:
5:30 and 7:15 p.m.
Name the Mascot winner:
7:00 p.m.
Why is My Water Bill
so High?
Loose material or more than two (2) 33gallon cans of construction material
require a special collection. This also
must be called into Allied Waste before the
next scheduled pick-up.
If you have any questions regarding the
above information, please contact the
Village Clerk’s Office at 630/773-0835.
May 2007
Did you know that a continuous leak from a
1/16” diameter hole could use approximately 25,000 gallons in one month? The smallest of leaks or intermittent leaks can have
an effect on your water bill. The following is
a list of possible reasons for your high water
bill.
Toilet tank running (jiggling the handle,
tank loses pressure, etc.)
Dripping faucets (inside and outside)
www.itasca.com
page 13
The Village News
the important professionals within the
Community Development Department who
make sure the buildings in our community
are safe. Building and fire officials are here
to help property owners understand building
safety issues. In this age of “do-it-yourself,”
it is extremely important for homeowners to
work with the Village to make sure their residences fully comply with local building safety codes.
Before you start any construction project, be
sure
to
contact
the
Community
Development Department to determine
whether your job requires a building permit
and to ensure your project is compliant with
local building safety codes. All contractors
working within the Village of Itasca must be
properly bonded and registered with the
Village. Any and all questions or concerns
regarding building permits or safety should
be directed to the Department of
Community Development 773-5568.
Itasca Welcomes New Hotels
Westin Chicago Northwest
Following a $20 million renovation and
upgrade project, the former Wyndham
Northwest Chicago in the Hamilton Lakes
office development has officially converted
into the Westin Chicago Northwest. The
hotel features more than four hundred wellappointed guest rooms and twenty-nine new
suites.
Westin offers
ample space
for weddings,
social events
and
meetings.
The
newly renovated 9,600
square foot Grand Ballroom has seating for
page 12
May 2007
up to 1,100 people.
The
Lakeside Pavilion and Terrace as
well as three additional ballrooms accommodate groups of 40-800 guests.
Each guestroom within the Wyndham boasts
amenities and services including high-speed
wireless internet access, flat panel TV,
Herman Miller Aeron ergonomic chair,
WebTV and complimentary Starbucks coffee. Visit the new intimate Atrium Lounge,
Shula’s No Name Lounge or dine at Shula’s
Steakhouse. For more reservations or more
information, contact the hotel at (630) 7734000.
Hyatt Place Itasca
Itasca welcomes the new Hyatt Place, a complete renovation of the former Amerisuites
hotel. Hyatt Place is a new hotel product
from Hyatt Hotels aimed at the
next generation of travelers, perfectly combining the unexpected
and familiar into its hotel design.
The guestrooms at Hyatt Place are designed
so that guests can multitask as they would at
home and borrows design ideas from residential homes. Spacious rooms are divided
into separate bedroom and living areas with
complimentary Wi-Fi throughout.
Living
rooms feature an eight-foot sectional sofa
sleeper and ottoman, and a swiveling 42inch flat panel high-definition TV visible
from anywhere in the room.
Hyatt Place also features the Gallery, an
innovative welcoming arrival area with a coffeehouse atmosphere. In the Gallery, guests
will find a self-registration kiosk, an intimate
coffee and wine café, bakery, free Wi-Fi, TV
den and e-room with free access to a public
computer and printer. Hyatt Place guests
can purchase signature hot breakfast
entrees along with Starbucks coffee or enjoy
a free continental breakfast. For added con-
www.itasca.com
The Village News
Bulk Brush Collection:
Maximum diameter of branches and limbs is
8 inches, maximum length is 4 feet.
Brush must be in neat manageable piles,
with cut ends facing the street placed on the
parkway.
Homeowners who desire pick-up at any
other time must contract independently with
a landscaper for disposal of these materials.
May 2007
Proceeds from the Itasca Garden Club Plant
Sale help provide educational programs for
club members and enables
the club to participate in
civic
and
community
events in Itasca. For more
information call 775-0605.
Itasca’s Very Own
Yard Waste and Leaf
Collection:
Miami Synchronized Skating Team
Makes History With Silver Medal
Finish at ISU World
Championships
Seasonal pick-up is every Monday beginning April 2, 2007 and ending November
26, 2007.
Jenna King Sr
(Arlington Hts., IL / Buffalo Grove)
Grass clippings and leaves must
be placed in paper bags or
garbage cans of
no more than 33gallon capacity.
Cans must be clearly Y
ARD WASTE
marked “YARD WASTE.”
Itasca Garden Club
The Itasca Garden Club Plant Sale pick up is
Saturday, May 19th, from 10:00 to 12
noon. Plants that were pre-ordered can be
picked up at the Itasca Fire Department.
The Itasca Garden Club will also have hanging baskets and various annuals available for
purchase at the Fire Station on that day.
The Springbrook Nature Center will have
perennials and native grasses available
for sale as well.
Jaclyn Pienkowski Sr.
(Itasca, IL / Lake Park)
Rebecca Search Sr.
(Elmhurst, IL / York)
Colette Sisofo Fr.
(Carey, IL / Carey-Grove HS)
After eight straight ISU Synchronized Skating
World Championships where Team USA had
come close to standing on the podiums but
just missed with fourth- or fifth-place finishes,
Miami University ascended to the top of the
rankings in 2007 with a silver-medal finish,
becoming the first U.S. team to ever medal
at the World Championships. In addition to
posting the best finish by a U.S. team at a
World Championship, the RedHawks led the
way to the strongest overall finish of any
country at these championships with the
other U.S. team finishing fourth.
After drawing to skate last in the competition,
and seeded fifth in the strongest group,
Miami was able to see the competition
unfold with a tremendous opportunity in
www.itasca.com
page 5
The Village News
front of it. Russia dropped from second to
sixth before the RedHawks took the ice, and
Findland’s Team Unique, who was within a
point of Miami, also made some mistakes,
leaving the door open.
Performing its “Black Magic” program, Miami
capitalized on the opportunity with an all-out
performance. A small fall in just the third
element of the program could have stymied
the RedHawks, but with a fierce competitive
fire, Miami nailed every other element to
earn 128.96 points just behind its personal
best of 130.31 at the U.S. Synchronized
Skating Championships catapulting the
team into second place and the medal
standings.
"We were confident, and we didn't let the fall
affect us," said captain Jenna King. "We just
pulled together and finished strong."
"Our focus was on ourselves and what we
could bring to the table – not what anyone
else was doing," Ashley Diederich said. "We
love our long program and we felt the
strength. We just flipped on a switch in the
beginning and got it done. It was a really
great performance.”
Standing third after the completion of Friday’s
short program, the RedHawks registered the
second-highest score in Saturday’s free
skate (129.96) and finished with a secondplace point total of 198.71, trailing only
Sweden ’s Team Surprise in the team standings (222.24).
Having earned a spot in the World
Championships in five of the past seven
seasons, the RedHawks have finished
among the top four at two World
Championships, including this season’s
silver medal finish. In its last five appearances at the World Championships, Miami
has finished no lower than ninth.
page 6
May 2007
The Village News
May 2007
Also excelling at the national level since the
1995-96 season, Miami’s senior skating
team has finished no lower than fourth at
the U.S. Nationals and won a pair of national
championships.
property. Unfortunately, after waiting the
requisite two years for FEMA approval of the
map amendment application, the Village of
Itasca has been informed that FEMA may not
be taking action on map amendment applications for yet another two years or more.
temporary period (up to five years) that
would support the Downtown Itasca
Strategic Plan. The uses the Village Board
will consider will be local shops, retail sales,
food or beverage and/or a community-based
uses.
Kwik-Print has a New Home!
DO YOU HAVE IDEAS FOR THE OLD
VILLAGE HALL?
Got a great idea for the re-use of the Village
Hall? Have a business or know someone
who wants to open a shop or business perfect for downtown Itasca? Is there a community use that you want the Village Board
to consider? Send any and all suggestions,
comments, ideas and business plans to
Mayor
Gigi
Gruber,
or
e-mail
[email protected] or contact Nicole Aranas,
Director of Community Development at 7735568, [email protected].
In February, Kwik-Print moved to its new
location at 206 W. Irving Park Road, directly
across from the train station. Kwik-Print has
been a part of the Itasca community since
1976, and its new location has enabled them
to expand their production capabilities.
Kwik-Print offers a wide variety of services,
including black and color copying, printing
and large format black copies. They also
offer complete design services as well as
bindery.
For the past 31 years, Kwik-Print has been a
proud member of the Itasca community,
and can be reached at (630) 773-3225 or
e-mailed at [email protected].
Walnut St. Delicatessen
Big news for the Walnut St.
Delicatessen! They have
moved to a new location
inside the NEC Building at
1250 Arlington Heights
Road, Itasca. They are in
a new fully equipped deli
area that has a beautiful atrium area for
seating up to 50 people. Outdoor seating is
also available by the pond. There is plenty
of parking in front of the building for their
customers to eat in or carry out.
Walnut St. Deli’s phone number and fax
number remain the same so you can still
www.itasca.com
In light of the FEMA delay in approving the
floodplain map revisions, the Village Board
recently met to discuss the immediate fate
of the old Village Hall. The Village has decided
to consider opening the Village Hall for an
interim use while waiting for FEMA to amend
the floodplain maps.
The Village is looking for an interim use or
uses to locate within the Village Hall for a
Itasca Celebrates Building Safety Week
Building Smarter Every Day
Safe and proper construction of buildings is
rarely on your mind when you enter a home
or building. Fortunately, the staff in the
Itasca Community Development Department
thinks about building safety and fire prevention every day. To help raise awareness of
building safety, the Village of Itasca celebrated Building Safety Week between May 6 and
May 12. During this time and throughout
the year, the Community Development
Department is seeking to promote the use,
enforcement and understanding of building
safety and fire prevention codes to protect
lives and property. The theme of Building
Safety Week 2007 is “Building Smarter…for
Disasters and Everyday Life.”
“The importance of regulating and enforcing
building codes is often overlooked until a
catastrophic tragedy occurs,” said Director
of Community Development, Nicole Aranas.
“By inspecting building during and after construction, we help to ensure that buildings in
the community are safe places in which to
live, work, play and learn.”
Building code regulations in Itasca help to
ensure that buildings are as safe as possible. Codes address all aspects of construction including structural integrity, electrical,
mechanical, and plumbing systems, energy
efficiency, and property maintenance.
Effective code enforcement requires the
support of homeowners,
contractors, architects,
builders, engineers,
and others in the
construction
industry.
Building
Safety
Week
recognizes
www.itasca.com
page 11
The Village News
perature and bring nature into our daily
lives,” said John Rosenow, president of The
National Arbor Day Foundation. “ Tree City
USA designation recognizes the work of
elected officials, staff and
citizens who plant and care
for the community forest.”
“Trees are a vital component
of the infrastructure in our
cities and towns, and provide
environmental and economical benefits,”
Arbor Day Foundation President Rosenow
added. “A community and its citizens that
recognize these benefits and provides needed
care for its trees deserves recognition and
thanks.”
May 2007
The Village of Itasca ’s annual Arbor Day
ceremony will take place on Saturday, April
28th at the Itasca Village Hall. The ceremony,
which begins at 1:00 PM, will consist of the
planting and dedication of commemorative
and memorial trees in the Village’s
Arboretum, reading of the Arbor Day
proclamation and a brief program on trees
by Nature Center Director Fred Maier.
Tree-themed refreshments will be served.
###
Fred Maier
Village of Itasca - Spring Brook Nature Center
Where Education Takes Flight
town Itasca are, in fact, not at risk of flooding. Accordingly, the Village of Itasca has
worked in cooperation with DuPage County
to petition FEMA for the amendment of local
floodplain maps and the removal of the
floodplain designation from Village Hall
Fortunately, recent modeling and mapping studies performed by DuPage
County indicate that the Village Hall and
certain other properties within downpage 10
place your catering orders or pick up your
Artichoke Foccacia.
Linda and Gary
Marcheschi will be operational on June 1,
2007. Call 630/250-7040 or fax 630/2507004.
You can still see Linda and Gary at the
Orchard St. Market, Movies Under the Stars,
and the Hot Dog Cart will be out (weather
permitting) throughout the summer. The
Marcheschi’s have been a part of our community for the past 16 years and look forward to
many more. They want to say, “Thank you
everyone for all of your support.”
* * * PRESS RELEASE
Old Village Hall Update
As you may have heard, over the past two
years, the Village of Itasca had been working
with a restaurant developer to attempt to
convert the former Village Hall site at 100
North Walnut into a full service restaurant
facility. The restaurant proposed by the
developer on-site required substantial
renovation of the existing building and
the construction of an outdoor dining
patio located immediately adjacent to
the Spring Brook Creek. Due to the fact
that portions of the Village Hall property
are located within the regulatory floodplain and/or floodway, building plans for
redevelopment of the building and construction of an outdoor seating area
were not readily approvable.
The Village News
www.itasca.com
***
At the “Shape of Itasca” meeting held on
Monday, May 7th, President Michael Sullivan
of the Itasca Fire Protection District No. 1
announced that the District will be conducting an orientation program on Monday, June
11, 2007, at 7:00 p.m. for residents of the
Fire District who are interested in becoming
Paid-On-Call firefighters.
The mandatory orientation will be held at
the fire station located at 520 W. Irving Park
Road. At the orientation you will learn
about the Itasca Fire Department and what
will be involved for you to become a PaidOn-Call firefighter. Applications will be distributed at that time.
Those interested in applying must meet the
following minimum requirements:
❐ must be a citizen of the United States
❐ must possess a desire to serve the public
❐ must have no felony convictions
❐ must possess a valid Illinois driver’s
license
❐ must have a high school diploma or GED
equivalent
❐ must be at least 21 but no older than 35
years of age
❐ should reside within the boundaries of
May 2007
the Itasca Fire Protection District
(although consideration MAY be given to
residents of communities adjoining the
District’s boundaries).
To register for the orientation, please call
630-773-1223, Monday through Friday,
between the hours of 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to bring their
spouses, significant others or family members to the orientation.
James D. MacArthur, Fire Chief
Administration: 630-773-1223
Fire Prev. Bur: 630-773-1240
ITASCA FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NO. 1
520 W. Irving Park Road, Itasca, IL 60143
Summer Concert Series
June 20
June 27
July 11
July 18
July 25
Aug 1
The Only Sons
Chuck Drager
Happy Hearts
Juke Box Band
Running Fox Blue Grass Band
Cirrus Falcon
Concerts are at Usher Park from 7-8:30pm.
Waterpark
Grand Re-Opening
Saturday, June 9th at 11am.
Free admission, games, giveaways and
more…
www.itasca.com
page 7
The Village News
Itasca Collegians
Lake Park High School student and Itasca
resident Aaron Zaubi is recognized for
superior academic achievement by the
National Society of High School
Scholars.
University of St. Francis in
Joliet awarded Devin Torii a
master degree in secondary
certification/social studies.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in
Whitewater, WI named Ann Machynia to the
dean’s list for the fall of 2006.
Southern Illinois University in Carbondale
named Alexandria Garcia and Katherine
Sadowski to the dean’s list for the fall
semester.
North Central College in Naperville named
Jennifer Bergantino and Kirstin Morris to the
dean’s list for the 2006 fall term.
Illinois Wesleyan University named Kathryn
Kohles to the dean’s list for the fall semester.
Elmhurst College Dean’s list fall 2006 semester:
Mary Laughlin, Angelo Marroquin, Darcy
O’Neill, Ashley Snick, Elisabeth Stark, and
Roberta Williams.
May 2007
The Village News
The Lutheran Church of
Saint Luke
1907-2007
A Century of Blessings
The yearlong celebration of the
100th
Anniversary
of
The
Lutheran Church of Saint Luke,
Itasca, is on-going. A third special
service is planned for Sunday, May
20th.
The Rev. Dr. Lyle Muller, who served the
congregation from 1969 to 1979, will be the
guest speaker at the 8:00 and 10:30 a.m.
services. Titled “Alumni Sunday,” former
principals and students of The Lutheran
School of Saint Luke will be welcomed. A
catered lunch will follow the 10:30 a.m.
service.
The contents of the 1907 cornerstone
will remain on display until December.
Commemorative calendars can be purchased
for five dollars.
Member Dr. Gerald Danzer will speak on the
history of the congregation at 9:15 a.m. on
April 15th, July 2nd, and November 4th.
For information, please contact Pastor
McReynolds at the Lutheran Church of St.
Luke, 630-773-0396.
Katrina Drummond received her degree of
Bachelor of Arts and Science in Psychology
with a minor in Sociology from Illinois State
University on May 11, 2007.
Congratulations!!
They’re Baaack!!!
The last time they appeared, the Village was
celebrating its centennial year, back in
1990. That spring we heard them, saw
them, and in many unfortunate cases actually felt them… crunching
under feet or tires or bumping into us as we ventured
outside. It is time for the
reappearance
of
the
Seventeen Year Cicada. The
seventeen year, or periodical cicada, will be having a
major
emergence
this
spring.
That means from sometime in May through
June, thousands and thousands of these
large bugs will be burrowing up out of the
ground, crawling up convenient trees,
shrubs, buildings and other vertical
structures, molting out of their juvenile
skins, spreading their wings and flying
throughout the community. The males will
gather in the treetops, “singing” to attract
females.
The females will respond by
buzzing their wings, creating quite a loud
“chorus.”
The sudden appearance of so many cicadas
at once is a survival strategy. With thousands
and thousands all emerging at once,
predators can eat their fill and not really
impact the population. The large numbers
assure that many will survive, find mates
and reproduce, assuring survival of the
species.
Many people mistakenly call these the
seventeen year locusts. Locusts are closely
related to grasshoppers and, when migrating,
can cause Biblical devastation to farm
page 8
May 2007
www.itasca.com
crops. But migratory locusts are not native
to North America. Cicadas, on the other
hand, are pretty harmless. They really can’t
bite and don’t have stingers. They are only
interested in finding mates before they get
eaten. The only damage that may occur is
to the young branches of trees.
After mating, the female will make a slit in
the bark of a tree branch and lay up to 600
small eggs in the cut. Several weeks later,
the eggs hatch and the tiny cicada nymphs
hatch, drop to the ground and burrow into
the soil. There they will feed on tree root
fluids and not see the light of day again until
2024.
XXX
Fred Maier
Itasca Named Tree City USA
Itasca has been named a Tree City USA
community by the National Arbor Day
Foundation to honor its commitment to
community forestry. It is the twenty-second
year Itasca has received this national
recognition.
The Tree City USA program is sponsored by
The National Arbor Day Foundation in
cooperation with the National Association of
State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service.
Itasca has met the four standards to become
a Tree City USA community; a tree board or
department, a tree care ordinance, a
comprehensive community forestry program,
and an Arbor Day observance.
“Trees in our cities and towns help clean the
air, conserve soil and water, moderate tem-
www.itasca.com
page 9
FREE TRAIL GUIDES AVAILABLE FROM DU PAGE COUNTY
Did you know there are over 280 miles of multi-purpose trails,
bicycle lanes and bike routes in DuPage County available for
walkers, joggers, bicyclists (and many suitable for equestrians)? Free trail guides are available from DuPage County for the
Southern DuPage County Regional Trail in Naperville, Lisle and
Downers Grove Townships and the Illinois Prairie Path and
Great Western Trail which runs through central and western
DuPage. Send your mailing address to [email protected] or call 630-407-6883, or
you may print out maps on-line at www.dupageco.org/bikeways.
Upcoming Nature Center Events - - Summer 2007
May 19
June 11
June 18
June 18
June 25
July 9
July 9
July 16
July 23
Sat
Mon
Mon
Mon
Mon
Mon
Mon
Mon
Mon
July 23
July 24
July 31
Mon
Tue
Tue
Aug 6
Aug 6
Mon
Mon
Aug 26
Sep 15
Sep 22
Oct 27
Sun
Sat
Sat
Sat
Minibeasts of the Creek & Plant sale pick-up
Unhuggables Camp Session 1 starts
Time Travelers Camp Session 1 starts
Wildland Explorers Camp Session 1 starts
Unhuggables Camp Session 2 starts
Time Travelers Camp Session 2 starts
Wildland Explorers Camp Session 2 starts
Wildones Camp Session 1 starts
Time Travelers Camp Session 3
starts
Wildland Explorers Session 3 starts
Call us at (630) 773-5572 or visit
Unhuggables Camp Session 3 starts
www.itasca.com/sbnc
Kids ‘N Critters 3 year old camp
to get more information
starts
or to register for a program.
Wildones Camp Session 2 starts
Credit Cards now accepted on-line.
Wildland Explorers Camp Session
4 starts
Anniversary Event
Last Chance Canoe Trip
Apple Harvest Festival
Halloween Non-Spook Walk
Prairie wings
Volume 16
Summer 2007
Spring Brook Nature Center
Newsletter Editor: Chris Carling
From the Director’s Desk
by Fred Maier, Nature Center Director
It has been a busy year, both with the Nature Center itself and the Friends of Spring
Brook Nature Center of Itasca. With the holidays and Winterfest 2007 behind us, we
are looking forward to a very busy calendar of events. Since most of the newsletter
deals with Nature Center activities, I will use my remaining space to let you know
about some of the recent activities of the Friends of Spring Brook.
The “Friends of” are proud to announce the appointment of Mr. Tom Reynolds as the
new chairperson of the Friends of Spring Brook Board effective last November, replacing
Mrs. Ellen Leahy. We thank Ellen for her years of service as the first chairperson of the
Board and for providing the initial direction as the “Friends of” Board was established. Mr. Reynolds also
serves as a Village Trustee and is the current chairman of the Village’s Nature Center committee as well.
We are also proud to announce the establishment of the Joan Brown Six Memorial Endowment program.
The endowment fund was established through the estate of Mrs. Six’s mother, Myrtle Brown, with a gift of
$ 25,000.00. The endowment fund will be managed by the DuPage Community Foundation, with interest
from the gift being available to help the “Friends of” support special Nature Center programs and projects.
For information on making donations to the Endowment Fund, please contact Mr. Fred Maier (630/2285652; [email protected]).
In closing, we want to thank all those who supported us at our second annual dinner auction, held at the
Itasca Country Club on Saturday, April 21. The program featuring Jim Kleinwachter of the Conservation
Foundation was informative and entertaining. At the conclusion of his presentation, Jim awarded the
Nature Center the “Conservation@Home” award, the first presented to a Nature Center! The award sign
is proudly and prominently displayed near the front door of the Nature Center.
In closing, we hope you will visit the Nature Center soon, and
join us as some of our upcoming events.
Fred Maier
Nature Center Director
Volunteer Perspectives page 2
Itasca Bank & Trust Co. Ad
3
Barn Owl Project
4
Restoration Efforts
5
Donations - Wish List
6
Job Openings
6
Kid’s Page - “Springtime is Fun” 7
Upcoming Events
Back Cover
From the Desk of Margaret…
Happy New Year! I know it’s a little late, but better late than never, right? The reason I bring it
up is I want to brag a little- okay a lot, about our wonderful volunteers and all the work they did
for us last year.
In 2006, we had over 220 individuals help with special events, restoration of our grounds, raptor
care, natural resource monitoring and program preparation and assistance. Just a few fun tid bits
of what they did for us last year…
•
5, 822 hours donated total in 2006. That’s just 418 hours short of three full time employees!
•
3,358 ½ hours of volunteer time helping with the raptors daily care and programs.
•
396 hours helping with special events, such as Winterfest, Anniversary Event, kid’s expo,
Non-Spook walk and apple fest.
•
404 ½ hours of helping fold newsletters, getting crafts and activities ready for camp and our
special events, assisting at the front counter greeting visitors, and general office work.
•
About 147 hours of removing buckthorn (this doesn’t include the school groups that helped).
But there’s still more - so come join us! Winter is the best time to remove it.
•
160 hours of pulling garlic mustard.
•
143 hours of volunteer time went to help with our first ever Barn Yard Sale which we made
$1500 in one day. We can’t wait for this year’s sale.
• 54 hours of amphibian and blue bird monitoring. We still need help with Dragonfly/
Damselfly, Butterfly, and Creek monitoring. No experience needed.
So as you can see, we depend on our volunteers for a variety of different tasks to keep the Nature Center going along. With out our wonderful group of core volunteers, community volunteers from Peacock and surrounding area schools and the variety of groups that come out for
Make a difference day, national public lands day, Giving DuPage 9/11 day, etc... we’d really be
hurting to get things done. So MANY THANKS to everyone who has helped this past year, we
look forward to seeing you again this year.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR
FOLLOWING VOLUNTEERS:
April
Candy Rolsky
Carolyn Wiest
Becky Kohles
Kristen Spatafora
Tamara Muschler
Cody Dorn
May
Marie Messuck
Cindy Holmberg
Therese Messuck
Sharon Robbons
Sandy Martin
Sheila Komarek
June
Eileen Kubica
Linda Greco
Quinn Olender
Kim Dodd
Daniel Kennedy
Karl Dorn
Kid’s Page
B G R X A E Q U B X G A I
by Chris Carling,
Program Supervisor
R Y K E I B T H I K I N G
O A B B W T B N S R U O L
B T A R E O G I E S F V T
Springtime Fun!
I B L R B R L E T N G M I
Look forward, backwards, diagonal,
up and down for the words below.
N H F E E O D F D O E G V
BABIES
FLOWERS
V L U E S D U B T O E I E
BUDS
GREEN
Y E N I H S N U S C G Y N
BUTTERFLY
HIKING
Y W B H K D L V E C Y I V
DEER
NEST
H E I A M N R W N A F T Y
EGGS
RABBIT
FAWN
RACCOON
SUNSHINE
ROBIN
Frog Riddles
M N V A P I Z A M R K B H
P K Z F A W N R C K V Y B
Q: What happens if a frog parks in a bus stop?
A: He gets toad away!
Q: Why are frogs always happy?
A: Because they eat whatever bugs them.
Marilyn Oberg
Gail Grutzius
John Costa
Vicky Landreth
Rosemary Katona
Jim Coonan
Lucy Anne Landreth
Sandra Maier
Q: What happens when two frogs catch the same fly?
A: They get tongue-tied!
Q: What do you get when you cross a pig with a frog?
A: A ham-phibian!
July
Caitlyn Wooten
Megan Robbons
Jessica Leighton
Karen Mohring
August
Jacob Ward
Barbara Schmidt
Pam Olender
Sarah Elsner
Peg Muldoon
David Mohring
Mark Badger
N S E R R W S S B U P G M
WHAT'S WITH THAT TONGUE?
St. Peters 6th graders helping cut Buckthorn.
Buckthorn is a non-native invasive species
that spreads quickly through the woods, out
competing native plant species.
Page 2
Frog’s tongues are attached to the front of their mouths
rather than at the back like humans. When a frog catches
an insect it throws its sticky tongue out of it’s mouth and
wraps it around its prey. The frog’s tongue then snaps back
and throws the food down its throat.
Page 7
27th Anniversary Family Festival
Biodiversity – Variety is the Key to Life
Sunday, August 26
Noon-5:00 p.m.
Bring the whole family to our exciting annual summer event. Meet
live birds, reptiles, insects, amphibians and mammals. Make critter
crafts, play games and be transformed into your favorite local animal
by expert face painters. To see the complete list of activities, go to our
web page at www.itasca.com/sbnc. Volunteers needed for this event,
call Margaret for more information 630-773-5572.
FEE: Free admission and parking
LOCATION: Nature Center
Last Chance Family Canoe Trip
Discover the enjoyment and adventure of canoeing along a scenic stretch of the Kankakee River.
Transportation, canoes, paddles and life jackets will be provided. Plan to get wet on this last chance to
get out and enjoy the summer. Bring a sack lunch, a change of clothes, shoes, towel, water bottle, and
sunscreen.
AGE
DAY
DATE
8 yrs-adult
Sat
Sept 15
TIME
8:30am-6:30pm
FEE: Resident $25, Family of three $65
(additional family members $15 each)
Non-Resident $30, Family of three $80
(additional family members $15 each)
LOCATION: Kankakee River State Park
(Meet at Nature Center) MAX 14
Donations - Wish List
Put Some of your Clutter
to Good Use
Glitter
Bleach
Gift Certificates of any
Scissors
kind are always welcome
Markers
Crayons
Glue sticks
Toilet paper
Laundry detergent
Paper towers paper
Construction Paper
Batteries (9V & AA)
Scotch Brite sponges
Garbage bags (13 gal. or 30 gal.)
Animal skeletons and bones
Card board tubes (tp and paper towel sizes)
Dishwasher soap
Spring Brook Nature Center now
recycles the following items:
Empty Inkjet Laser and Toner
Cartridges
• Black or Color
• No Epson brand cartridges
Unwanted Digital Cell Phones
• Working or not
• We also accept Batteries and Chargers
• No other accessories, please
Proceeds from these items will benefit The Friends of
Spring Brook Nature Center of Itasca.
Page 6
Page 3
R.S.V.P.— Restoration Stewardship Volunteer Program
Northern Illinois Barn Owl Project by Debby Farley
The Spring Brook Nature Center is one of six agencies involved in the Northern Illinois Barn Owl Project. The goal of the project is to study captive breed barn owls after their release into the wild. The
eggs are incubated and a portion of the rearing of the chicks is done at Spring Brook. Here are a few
photos taken of the chicks at different ages.
Hours after hatch
First weighing of Barn Owl
Baby’s first feeding
Plastic container used as nest
Animal … in Focus
Chicks weigh 20 grams at hatch
Feather duster acting as Mom’s feathers
Do you enjoy working outdoors? Are you looking for a way to “think globally, act locally.” Here is an opportunity to do both. We need people to assist in seed collection and propagation, exotic plant removal, and planting native flowers and grasses. We’ll provide training and
tools, plus a little education. All you need is some energy and enthusiasm. If the following dates
don’t fit your schedule, we can try to arrange something that will. Projects are subject to change
based on staff discretion and weather conditions.
Restoration workdays are generally the
1st & 3rd Fridays and the 4th Saturdays
of every month.
Sat
April 28
8:30-11:30am
Remove Non-natives
Fri
May 4
2:00-5:00pm
Greenhouse work
Fri
May 18
2:00-5:00pm
Cut Dame’s Rocket
Sat
May 19
8:00—5:00pm
Native Plant Sale Pick-Up
Sat
May 26
8:30- 11:30am
Cut Dame’s Rocket
Fri
June 1
2:00-5:00pm
Greenhouse work
Fri
June 15
2:00-5:00pm
Greenhouse work
Sat
June 23
8:30-11:30am
Greenhouse work
Fri
July 6
2:00-5:00pm
Planting
Fri
July 20
2:00-5:00pm
Planting
Sat
July 28
8:30-11:30am
Planting
Plant … in Focus
BARN OWL
WILD GERANIUM
The barn owl is an endangered species in the state of
Illinois. Spring Brook Nature Center is working with the
IDNR and DuPage County Forest Preserve to study the
sustainability of captive bred barn owls in the wild. This
owl was the first nestling to be successfully born into
that program in the spring of 2002. Although he lives
at the Nature Center where he helps to promote Barn
Owl conservation, all of his siblings have been released
into the wild. He is fully flight capable and is used in
educational programs.
Page 4
Lavender, 5-petaled
1-1.5” blossoms from early April
through June make this a classic
woodland spring wildflower. It retains its wheelshaped leaves after the blooms have turned into
long, stick-like seed pods (hence the other
name, “cranesbill”), making it an excellent garden plant. It will grow 1-2’ tall in full sun as
well as shade. You can find them in several areas along Spring Brook’s Q-Trail if you look
carefully this spring. There should be some potted geraniums available for our Native Plant
Sale and as a Friends of Spring Brook benefit.
Page 5