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December 23, 2005

Residents ask Rep. Biggert to support Iraq war endgame

More than 1,000 constituents of U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert, R-13th District, of Willowbrook, have asked the Congresswoman to press the Bush administration to develop an exit strategy for the Iraq war that would bring U.S. troops home in 2006.

Five of Biggert's constituents delivered a 62-page petition containing the signatures to Biggert's Willowbrook office Dec. 14, as part of a campaign organized by the political action group known as MoveOn.org Political Action. The campaign collected residents' signatures to call the attention of members of Congress to developing a plan to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq next year. Read more...

Posted by indianprairie at 1:50 PM

December 22, 2005

Library Board Appoints New Director

The Indian Prairie Public Library will start the new year with a new director, Jamie Bukovac, who is leaving the top library post in Hinsdale.

Bukovac, 47, will begin Monday, Jan. 9, at the Darien library, succeeding the retiring Lee Schacht. Bukovac served as assistant director at the Downers Grove library for 14 years, during a period when the library almost doubled in space, and left in 2003 for the top job in Hinsdale. Read more...

Posted by indianprairie at 1:47 PM

December 19, 2005

Spread cheer by helping needy

It's time for the Humanitarian Service Project's annual Christmas Offering, which has been providing needy families in DuPage County with an abundance of food and gifts since 1979.

In 2004, the Christmas Offering served 93 families with 396 children and delivered 18 tons of food, the most ever. Each family received an average of 400 pounds of food, and each child received an average of five gifts. Besides new toys and games, all children receive new books. This year, new toys and gifts are needed for 1,400 children, especially toys for children ages 8 to 12. Read more...

Posted by indianprairie at 8:02 AM

December 16, 2005

Willowbrook police will be watching for unbelted drivers

The Willowbrook Police Department, in conjunction with law enforcement agencies across the country, and through a grant from the Illinois Department of Trans-portation, will participate in the "Click It or Ticket" safety belt campaign over the Christmas and New Year's holidays. The campaign will begin Monday, Dec. 19, and end Monday, Jan. 2. Read more...

Posted by indianprairie at 5:49 PM

December 15, 2005

Dist. 61 panel recommends selling Lace School

A citizens panel formed to give Darien School District 61 an outside opinion on its financial problems recommended a radical restructuring of the district's facilities to the School Board this week, calling for the sale of Lace School and forming grade centers at the two remaining elementary schools. Read more...

Posted by indianprairie at 5:54 PM

December 14, 2005

Darien business aids Toys for Tots

Skyline Financial of Chicago, a new business in Darien, is sponsoring a coloring contest to benefit Toys for Tots. There will be three age groups for the contest including 4 to 6, 7 to 9 and 10 to 12, with each entry requiring a toy donation to a needy family. Winners from each age group will receive a $50 cash prize, and the winning drawings will be displayed at Darien City Hall. The drawing for the winners will be held Friday, Dec. 16. Read more...

Additional Toys for Tots information:

College of DuPage, now through Friday, Dec. 16. -drop-off barrels will be located throughout the college's Glen Ellyn campus, 425 Fawell Blvd., including in the Open Campus Center, Student Resource Center, the library and bookstore and the public safety office.

Chicagoland 2005 Toys for Tots

Chicagoland Toys for Tots Motocycle Parade Dec. 16th.

Posted by indianprairie at 5:33 PM

December 13, 2005

New Darien water tower would boost capacity

Darien city officials are reviewing plans for a new $3.5 million water tower that they hope will go up next year, replacing the existing one at the same location. Previewed at the Dec. 5 City Council meeting by Dan Gombeck, the director of public works, the new tower will hold 1.5 million gallons, or six times as much water as the existing tower behind the Brookhaven Shopping Center at Plainfield Road and Cass Avenue. Read more...

Posted by indianprairie at 2:59 PM

December 9, 2005

Maintaining financial sanity

1. Create a holiday budget. Be sure to consider the additional expenses that come with the season such as decorations, food, cards, postage, wrapping paper, travel, etc. 2. Take a gift list with the names and planned dollar amount with you to the store. This can help prevent you from overspending, or purchasing gifts you didn't plan on buying. 3. Pay with cash only. It will help you prevent spending what you don't really have. Read more...

Posted by indianprairie at 8:06 AM

December 8, 2005

Debt the halls? How to make your holidays happy without breaking the bank

With deferred billing plans, commercials for every product imaginable flooding the airwaves, and constant reminders to spend -- and spend big -- this year, it's easy to see how people can get wrapped up in holiday debt. The average American will spend $738 on gifts this holiday season, a 5.1 percent increase over last year, according to the National Retail Federation. Read more...

Posted by indianprairie at 8:03 AM

December 7, 2005

Suit settled; City to hire watchdog for ComEd

Commonwealth Edison and Darien have settled a lawsuit the city filed over a marathon late-summer power outage, with the utility agreeing to let the city hire a consultant to oversee its plan for improving service. The settlement, announced at a Dec. 5 City Council meeting, requires ComEd to pay for the consultant's fees, up to $20,000. Read more...

Posted by indianprairie at 4:22 PM

Singers bring holiday cheer to Hinsdale

The madrigal singers from Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South high schools will perform Old English-style Christmas Carols and other choral music at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 9, at the Hinsdale Community House, Eighth and Madison streets. Gary Wilhelm, director of music at Hinsdale Central, and Bret Goad, director of student activities and choirs at Hinsdale South, have cooperatively planned the holiday-themed program. Read more...

Posted by indianprairie at 8:01 AM

December 5, 2005

Farm offers 'Spirit of Season' tours

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County's Kline Creek Farm is offering "Spirit of the Season" house tours during December. Tours take place on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursdays through Mondays, from now through Saturday, Dec. 31. Holiday preparations take place throughout the house. Read more...

Posted by indianprairie at 7:59 AM

December 3, 2005

Food accepted in lieu of library fines

Indian Prairie Public Library users can pay their fines with food donations from Sunday, Dec. 4, through Thursday, Dec. 8. The library, at 401 Plainfield Road, will accept one nonperishable item for each $1 of fines owed. Read more...

Posted by indianprairie at 1:10 PM

December 2, 2005

Home for the Holidays Winter Carnival

Santa, his elves and helpers will be visiting the annual Home for the Holidays Winter Carnival, co-sponsored by the Willowbrook/Burr Ridge Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Kiwanis Club of Willowbrook/Burr Ridge in cooperation with the Burr Ridge Park District.

The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at Gower West Elementary School, 7650 Clarendon Hills Road, Willowbrook.

For more information, call the chamber office at (630) 654-0909. Read more...

Posted by indianprairie at 8:08 AM