When the Village Chronicles launches its new website, www.VillageChronicles.net, next Saturday (Aug. 1), it intends to effect a sweeping change to the classic paradigm associated with most suburban newspapers.
As most of you know, the newspaper business and the rest of the print media world are experiencing an apocalyptic meltdown. Giants of the industry, beginning right here at home with the Tribune and the Sun Times are on life support. And they do not have long to live.
City and County Officials Don’t Respond to Their Constituents
Written by KEN DOENGESRecently I wrote a letter to the editor [in which I said] that most elected officials are poor communicators. I submit this followup letter to illustrate my point.
There are many planned unit developments (PUDs) in our community. Most are
known as an HOA (homeowners association), but there are several other types—
individual family homes in developments of different sizes (think Summerlakes
and River Oaks)—townhome PUDs like Maple Hill and Emerald Green)—other HOA types that cover condo chartered properties, and non-condo developments.
Whichever type it is, these communities are governed by HOA boards of directors. Complexities of law create many headaches for the volunteer boards. Most HOAs hire management firms to gain access to legal advice, management talent and policy development expertise.
But local decisions still have to be made to properly represent the needs and tastes of the unit owners. Those variations, coupled with economic challenges, land-use issues, and stormwater management problems, to name just a few, make the HOA board’s job even more difficult.
The City of Warrenville is practiced with HOAs and is supportive of their efforts. Learning when, how, and to whom local expertise can be applied is not always easy.
An association of HOAs in Warrenville would address sharing of successes and failures. Perhaps only a quarterly gathering is needed. On the other hand a more formal structure may be useful in working toward the long-term success of all HOAs in our community?
For example, an umbrella organization could be helpful in facilitating the choices of contractors or vendors who had been found to be reputable in other situations.
Or, perhaps group training sessions could be structured for new board members.
An oversight entity might also prove useful in establishing stronger ties with various city and county departments.
If you are interested in pursuing this idea, please send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . We will report the strength of interest and help put respondents in contact with one another.
The Summer Daze event in Warrenville is always a bright spot for me. It is a wonderful two-day fest right here in my own back yard. The chamber does an excellent job arranging the food, car show, children’s events and music.
Talk about music, this year was exceptional! Both Friday and Saturday had something for everyone who loves music, and that includes all kinds of music—Battle of the Bands, the young adults were great.
The “Rat Pack Crooner” wowed all the ladies on Saturday evening. I personally enjoyed High Infidelity, Voyage and Brit Band.
The sad part about Summer Daze is that comes near the end of summer and reminds us that fall is on the way.
One thing I do want to mention is I would like to see more Warrenville citizens in attendance. We are a small town in a very large county with a great many things to do. So, please support the events that we have in the City of Warrenville.
—CLARE BARRY WARD 4 ALDERMAN
The differences between “place” and “home” are fleeting but profound. The person ahead of you, a stranger, holds the door open for you to pass through the doorway, or smiles when meeting on the street. A subtle signal to cut through a waiting line
of traffic to enter a parking lot, or a nonchalant waive from a passing car acknowledges your presence and signals you belong.
A small act of kindness softens the harshness of the world and makes us feel OK. The 4th of July parade gathers townspeople to celebrate not just the nation’s birthday, but the gathering of a place and its people, strangers, neighbors, citizens all. It is bigger than “me,” yet it allows me to feel larger, wanted, accepted.
Is that what defines “community?” Feeling accepted, belonging?
What about caring for an ailing neighbor? Taking him or her to a doctor’s appointment, or picking up a prescription at the drug store, or taking out the garbage on a snowy day, or getting the mail in icy weather? These acts of caring go beyond small acts of kindness; instead they affirm a sense that the neighbor “belongs here” and is helped to remain here.
Is that what defines “community”? Caring for the physical well-being of a neighbor?
Group sharing as in potluck dinners, or a pig roast; these require an act of sharing to be a part of the gathering. You share a favorite recipe with a larger group; you sample the shared dishes from others; a feast has been made. The mingling over food and new taste treats nurtures conversation among those unfamiliar to one another. The circle of friendship expands.
Is that what defines “community”? Sharing food and favorite recipes?
Shopping for routine goods and services locally. Meeting neighbors, co-workers, fellow church or organization members while out and about doing chores and shopping. Exchanging personal greetings or information during those brief encounters grows awareness of the people around us and how they fit together.
Is this another defining moment of community?
Sharing constructive ideas with others in town is useful in addressing shared needs or problems. Such ideas form programs, even institutions, which serve community needs that make us all stronger or better off.
Is this more of the community definition?
We think so.
Taken together all of the above allows each of us to be our own self, to make the contributions we will, to accept help from others so we can be better or stronger.
The community gives us license to be ourselves while celebrating who we are as we all come together to make a strong, well-defined community. Being yourself is an act of community, pure and simple.
It may seem trite to state “It’s all about community,” but we think it is all about community.
Celebrate it.
Gather at SummerDaze in August. Participate in outdoor summer activities. Walk our plentiful trails and paths. Share your talents with a group to manage or address a common concern.
Be yourself but be with others. That is what makes our community strong.
How about a little public discussion about basic civics understanding in our society. Retired Justice Souter has taken on the task of improving civics education in his native New Hampshire, and I believe we could use it here in the Land of Lincoln as well.
I recently had a conversation with a friend who, when referring to an issue with one of our schools, would refer to the schools as "your schools," as if I owned them.
I reminded my friend that the schools were not my schools, but our schools. I believe there is a fundamental problem here that Americans believe if everything isn’t perfect to their individual liking, it’s not their problem, it’s someone elses—the city, school, park district, state, federal government—someone else, but not me.
Hand it off, either physically or emotionally, and it’s no longer my problem. This perspective missed a fundamental point that the state is our state, the city is our city, the schools are our schools, the parks are our parks.
We are all collectively responsible for their various successes, failures and faults.
Best regards,
—ANDY JOHNSON 3S040 BARKLEY AVE.
Back in 2002, the DuPage County Forest Preserve District considered the construction of a new Fleet Services Maintenance building in the Blackwell Forest Preserve. At that time, District President D. “Dewey” Pierotti vetoed a proposal to proceed with the project.
Five years went by and nothing happened. Then in June, 2007, the district authorized the expenditure of upwards of $500,000 in design and architectural fees for the building, a sure sign that it intended to revive the project’
Sure enough, at its budget meeting last June 30, the district approved a new fiscal-year budget that accommodates the expenditure of approximately $7.5 million on the proposed project.
Meanwhile, on May 5 of this year, the district held an “open house” at which residents of the county were encouraged to share their concerns, ask questions, and gain more insight into the details of the project.
Shortly thereafter, according to Dennis Clark, President of West-Win Homeowners Association, whose members live close by, the district promised to hold a meeting in June to consider the project. That meeting was never scheduled, and Clark says the project was slated for discussion at a meeting on July 14 that has now been moved to July 21.
However, the district’s public relations department has told Clark that the matter will not be discussed on July 21, while President Pierotti says “indeed it will be discussed.”
All of this leads to the conclusion that the district is waffling and attempting to tire out its constituency, so that this fall the project can proceed. This is a typical political ploy, and perhaps can be thwarted if enough people show up at the districts July 21 meeting and voice their concerns.
The merits of the project are not the real issue here. What is clear is that the district has not done its due diligence or incorporated this project into its long-range plans in appropriate fashion. Until it does its homework, we urge residents to be vigilant, since the Forest Preserve is immune from such things as public hearings, bidding, and other processes that the ordinary Joe would have to endure in order to get approval of a project of this magnitude.
In its July 3 issue, the Village Chronicles published a story concerning this project, outlining a number of valid concerns and questions that we feel are appropriate and deserving of answer and response. We urge you to review these and make your concerns known to the forest preserve district either in person at a district meeting, or via email or other form of communication.
I admit to leading a somewhat sheltered life. I don’t really get out much and spend a lot of money. But when I do need to buy something I try to do it in Warrenville.
I figure that every little bit I can contribute locally will help keep our real estate tax bills down.
Today I stopped for lunch at Carm’s Beef. When the nice lady rang up my order it didn’t take a mathematical genius to figure out the sales tax is 10 percent.
That came as something of a shock to me. Are we now trying to keep up with the Chicago and Cook County Democrats by taxing ourselves into the poor house?
This total must have been insidiously arrived at. No one big jump but a bunch of little 1/4 percent or 1/2 percent increases until we are now competing with Chicago for the highest tax rate in the country. And if the Cook County Board is successful in rescinding even 1/2 percent of Todd Stroger’s infamous increase we will be in the lead. This kind of notoriety we do not need, thank you.
I remember hearing that Cantera and Target in particular were going to solve all our financial problems. That doesn’t seem to have been the case.
So here are my questions—who gets all this sales tax money, how much does each taxing body get, and what are the top three most expensive line items in each of their budgets?
In essence, what am I paying for other than the shenanigans in Springfield and the Taj Mahal the county built in Wheaton?
—BILL LLOYD 30W 140 ARLINGTON CT.
Suggestions keep coming our way. The other day someone suggested that the Village Chronicles could do something about getting a local medical clinic organized and operating. Another has suggested a local group of homeownerassociations might be useful. Yet another feels that stop signs or traffic signals would be a good thing at a specific intersection.
What to do with these ideas?
Letters to the editor allow our readers to get their thoughts beyond us and out in the open. Our letters section is named “Voices” and reflects our philosophy that the individual thoughts of our local citizens should become the voice of each person having a particular idea, which can then be shared with the rest of us.
The reaction to that single voice is often magical. Others may echo the same thought and frequently a group effort is formed to address the idea.
This newspaper is not the single voice of the community—rather it is a channel for communicating the many voices that wish and are willing to be heard. The process of sharing ideas in one central channel helps identify issues with “legs” and determines whether the citizenry supports a resolution to the issue as a priority.
Village Chronicles lends itself to this process in several ways. The paper reports news that is important for citizens to know. It provides background information on why some news items have deeper importance. It makes available guest editorial space for a thorough analysis of complex issues. And it publishes letters to the editor that reveal new ideas or reactions to previously publicized opinions.
Thus, the newspaper serves as a civic communication channel, useful to the entire community.
We only ask that you be civil and polite. Being angry about something is OK— being rude, insulting or personal is not. Focusing on the idea is the primary objective. Few will listen if your thoughts are lost in a sea of emotion, anger or ranting.
Calm consideration of ideas benefits us by providing a deeper understanding of issues and of one another.
Care to participate?
Big brother is watching! Or so it seems. Lately I get the feeling that someone is looking over my shoulder and I don’t feel comfortable about that. Maybe the red light cameras sprouting up everywhere have caused the feeling. Perhaps it’s the constant presence of police cruisers. Whatever, I’m not feeling our town is the same friendly place it once was. Something is missing.
I know it’s a good thing for police to be visible, but we used to wave at them and they’d wave back; smile at them and they’d smile, too. Officer friendly was just around the corner and very accessible. Now he seems a little less friendly?
Is this my imagination or are others noticing this too?
Rocky Falco 30w041 Willow Ln
