Passing the Buck—Literally
ComEd’s demand that underground additional electric supply cables for the new Central DuPage Hospital facility be at the city’s expense, or the taxpayers billed over two months. The price is about $350K
This is ludicrous. The customer is CDH. It has paid a hefty price to add the service. Cantera has a dictate that utilities be underground. ComEd pays or the association pays, or the specific business requiring the upgrade pay. Not the taxpayers of Warrenville, or the city.
ComEd asserts that its company, stakeholders and stockholders ought not to pay for this. Last time we checked, ratepayers are stakeholders, that would be Warrenville rate payers,
A Sunday Afternoon in Warrenville
Here we were after church, filled with a great breakfast and a beautiful day. What to do? Well first, we visited the new Hubble Middle School for its public grand opening and -dedication. The auditorium was filled with well-wishers, students past and present, parents, community devotees and the hopes of the future built on the dreams of the past.
As the ceremony unfolded, the history was told of the school’s journey into existence. Twelve years, said school board president, Andrew Johnson, but he also reported a lot of dreaming went on before then to make the present school a reality.
And that was dreaming from school district personnel, concerned district board members and families who wondered why most of the enrollment in the old Hubble school lived in Warrenville, and the old school had structural and systems problems too costly to repair, and available building sites were nearly non-existent in both Wheaton and Warrenville.
The “what to do” became evident to most, but a nasty fight developed anyway among a contentious but vocal element. To make a long story short, dreams and common sense out weighed political noise, and the current Hubble Middle School came into its award-winning existence.
The Hubble School story is a chronicle of community collaboration, volunteerism and involvement. Nothing good comes by accident; it has to be worked for, and that takes a lot of time, talent and treasure from throughout the community.
Next we dropped in at ClaySpace where Linda Lee Tiepke is September’s Artist of the Month and hosted a Gallery 107 opening reception. Her work is colorful and sometimes muted while both functional and abstract. A refreshing body of creation most would enjoy viewing.
While there, we were treated to the opening and unloading of a recent gas kiln firing. Gasps of wonder and excitement were frequent as each new treasure emerged from its heat-vault. Anxious artists nervously peered among the new objects to see if their glaze chemistries produced the desired outcomes or yielded yet another surprise. A visit is well worth your while.
Bikers are Good Guys
Our final destination was a visit to the iconic IBEW Local 701 union hall on Bella Vista. There the annual fundraiser for the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans took place in the form of a motorcycle Poker Ride.
Last year the union bikers raised over $10,000 to support operations of the Midwest Shelter located at 119 N. West St. in Wheaton. As we greeted the bikers returning from their daylong ride in the country, union local president Guy Rossi reported, early results tend to support the conclusion that the ride will produce at least the same results as last year, probably more! Joining Guy were Wheaton Mayor Michael Gresk and Warrenville Mayor Pro Tem David Schultz, standing in for the recuperating Mayor David Brummel.
