2 KWT

3KWT

It was called the Gary by Jeff Kehoe

IT WAS CALLED THE GARYBy Jeff Kehoe

It started out as a family bike ride along the Virgil L. Gilman Trail; you know, the one that starts out west at Waubonsee Community College, runs through Aurora and Mont-gomery, then stops at the east end of Montgomery near Hill Avenue, and is usually a pleasant ride of about 15 miles. A popular trail, there’s lots of scenery and bridges along the way.

But as we approached that old bridge spanning the Fox River near Broad-way (Route 25), the youngsters who'd been leading the way for the past several miles slammed on their brakes. Standing still now, nervous-ly looking ahead at the ancient old bridge rusting away before u they asked, “Is this thing gonna be strong enough to hold us?”

My reply was, “Of course! It used to hold steam locomotives weighing 100 tons, so it certainly will hold a group of bikers even though it’s old and kinda feeble. I knew the history of that bridge, you see.

The trail we were riding was once part of a railroad known as the Chi-cago Milwaukee & Gary. Its tracks had been torn up long ago, but its roadbed remains today, paved over, providing a smooth surface on which to walk, jog, or ride a bicycle. Trains have always needed a fairly level sur-face on which to operate, and this route was no exception. In fact, it was rather well built. It has survived well over a century.

Not many people using the Virgil L. Gilman Trail know it was once the Chicago Milwaukee & Gary, or just “The Gary” to oldtimers and rail-road enthusiasts. Built in 1905 as a route that would bypass rail conges-tion the Windy City, the name was rather misleading: It didn’t go to Chicago Milwaukee or Gary! Nor did it ever get enough business to make a profi t.

Running from Rockford to Momence, Illinois (near the Indiana border): the single-track 100 mile Gary route cut a crescent-shaped curve aero northern Illinois’ prairies. Locally, it ran through Kane and Kendall Counties, but some of the track it used belonged to the Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railway. That 25-mile section between Aurora and Jo-liet was “rented track” that required fees to be paid, much like the cost of using a toll road. So, fees coupled with tough restrictions imposed by the EJ&E on what kinds of freight could run over their rails resulted in condition that hampered, rather than helped, the growth of the Gary. The savings from not having to construct the 25-mile section between Aurora and Joliet turned out to be no savings at all for the Gary. It was doomed. Enter, the Milwaukee Road (formal-ly known as the Chicago Milwaukee St. Paul and Pacifi c Railroad), who in 1922, saw taking over the smaller, weaker Gary as an easy way to get coal from mines in southern Indiana to their own coal-hungry fl eet of lo-comotives in Illinois. The cost of ac-quiring the Gary, however, included the Milwaukee’s agreement to pay off a staggering $3 million of the Gary’s debt. Then, as part of the Mil-waukee, the line proceeded to lose $930,000 in the fi rst three years. As business waned and the Depression hit, the Gary was soon down to just three trains a week, hardly enough to pay for its upkeep. The last train from Rockford to Aurora ran uncer-emoniously on April 1 6, 1947. Then the Gary was fi nished in the City of Lights, offi cially abandoned.

Once its rails had been removed, the Fox Valley Park District stepped in to convert the old roadbed into a bike trail. Portions of the line in Kendall

County owned by the EJ&E (as well as that old bridge over the Fox River) still had their tracks in place, but saw only infrequent use until they too were removed in the late 1970s.

As to the actual age of the rusty old bridge we rode across on that beau-tiful Fall day not too long ago, one account has it dating back to 1885, while others claim it more likely was built in 1923. But, had the Gary sur-vived into the present day, the old bridge would have been replaced. Today, the line would probably be

busy with trains carrying coal to our power plants, operating as its found-ers intended; as a route to bypass congested rail traffi c in Chicago. Unfortunately, that’s just wishful thinking about a long gone, nearly forgotten railroad once known as the Gary, now part of our local history

Labor Beat by Jennifer Rice

During rally, seniors plead, ‘Don’t cut our Social Security benefi ts’

In conjunction with the AFL-CIO, concerned retirees and union mem-bers rallied at Aurora’s Illinois So-cial Security Administration Nov. 8 to protest the cutting of Social Se-curity benefi ts, Medicare and Med-icaid and to end President George W. Bush’s tax cuts for the richest 2

percent—at a cost of $ 1 trillion over 10 years.

During the start this week of Con-gress’ lame-duck session, lawmakers have only about six weeks to avert the fi scal cliff by at least coming up with a short-term compromise and addressing more radical reform in the following month.

A number of concerned and wor-ried seniors spoke outside the Social Security Administration building—seniors who pointed out that Social

Security, Medicare and Medicaid are programs they have paid into for years.

“I have paid into Medicare for 45 years, and it helps me aff ord to see my doctor and fi ll my prescriptions,” Rochelle Parker said. “I don’t know what I would do without out it.” As a member of the Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans, Parker is fear-ful of the plans that lawmakers have proposed when it comes to cutting Social Security and Medicare.

During this lame-duck session, some legislators are set on reaching a “grand bargain” that would cut the benefi ts of our seniors and disabled, which isn’t any bargain.

An AFL-CIO election night sur-vey of the general public conduct-ed by Hart Research Associates showed that by a 64 percent to 17 percent margin, voters say lawmak-ers should maintain Social Security

4 KWT

and Medicare benefi ts and address the defi cit by increasing taxes on the rich—not by reducing benefi ts.

According to American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), 8 million people with disabilities rely on Medicaid as their lifeline, indicat-ing the Medicaid program is a fl ex-ible, safety net program that covers health care and long-term supports for persons with incomes close to the poverty line. The program expands or contracts with changes in the need for care and economic conditions.

As president of the National Associ-ation of Letter Carriers Branch 219, union leader Ken Christy represents 15,000 letter carriers in Illinois, 5,000 of which are retired. He spoke at the rally, “What a terrible shame for America—the mightiest country in the world—that now wants to bal-ance the budget on the poor and the disabled and the elderly. That is such a shame upon America,” he said.

“Don’t touch Medicare. Don’t touch Social Security. This is about taking care of the needs of Americans that need it the most,” Christy added.

Retiree Delores Hicks worked her entire life in nursing and knows fi rsthand the pitfalls of our nation’s seniors and disabled. “Because there are so many companies having Medicare benefi ts, many Medicare benefi ts have been changed. I fi nd that some of the seniors are being deceived with the diff erent Medicare companies. They are not explaining everything to us,” Hicks said.

As an Aurora Township trustee who works with seniors, Hicks has seen

seniors adjust their budgets to com-pensate a decrease in benefi ts. “After church, I go with a group of women who like to eat, but we’re fi nding our-selves having to cook meals instead of going out to eat,” she explained.Mary Pryor said it best, saying law-makers should be increasing sen-iors’ benefi ts, not thinking of cutting them. “We don’t get enough and it’s a shame they are talking about do-ing this. I ask them, please don’t cut our benefi ts,” Pryor pleaded.

Antiquing with Joyce by Joyce

ANTIQUING WITH JOYCE

Hello, my name is Joyce. I have an antique store in downtown Oswego named Rejoyce and I love decorat-ing! I am in the right place at the right time for mixing my decorating with antiquing. People are getting it. Using antiques and salvage fi nds are not only cheaper but are made much better. I will be sharing an-tique and repurposing ideas along with what’s in and what’s out in the antique world. Every month I will share an idea or a trend with you. It might make you smile, inspire you, or it might be something you already have done.

Pinterest is the latest and hottest In-ternet site. People are on the site for hours looking at really great ideas to do themselves. They then go off in search of the items that they need to complete the project. The “DYI” (do it yourself) projects are endless, some you can do in just a weekend.

Doors, doors, doors!They are not just for keeping you in or out anymore. The older the bet-ter. Barn doors are most desirable with the rollers to open and close. Old farmhouse doors along with screens doors make for interesting projects. Beautiful wood doors and chippy, peeling, shabby doors add great interest to your project.

So, what is the project you ask? Let me give you just a few:

•Need a new dining table, desk or want to make a bar? Consider a beau-tiful antique door with glass on top. •They are actually be-ing used as doors in homes.•Old barn doors make interest-ing headboards, great as wall art or lay it on top an old table base to create a primitive table!•Repurpose an old farm-house door into a chalk board•Stand a door in a corner of a room and hang family photos in each of the panels, hang a wreath from a hanger or an art piece.•Put 3 or 4 or doorknobs across the top, lean it against a wall and hang clothing items from them.•Put smaller knobs across the top and the middle of the door. You now have a great place to hang your jewelry from.•Old doors can be made into great hall benches.

Trends are always changing in the antique world and I so love the re-purposing trend. We are not only saving some of our history, but we are also saving the landfi lls. People are so creative and are fi nding out that decorating with antiques can be fun. It allows you to personal-ize your home with a one-of-a-kind style. Let your imagination run wild—you just might come up with a new trend! Please share your ideas with us; we would love to hear them.

Geek Corner by Nick Sexton

Separating Fiction from Science Fiction

Last time, I discussed the super sol-dier serum and the vibranium shield of Captain America, concluding that, at least as far as comic book super-heroes go, the good captain is pretty solidly science fi ction. Now we’re going to take a look at the opposite side of the spectrum, Thor, the god of thunder.

First off , let’s make a laundry list of his know powers: As an Asgardian, he has immense strength and dura-bility, and as the son of Odin himself, he is the strongest of the Asgardians. While his exact strength varies from author to author, he can easily lift large trucks as if they were nothing more than a box of cereal, and his legendary endurance allows him to fi ght continuously for days, if not months, without any reprieve before tiring. He is quick enough to defl ect bullets with his hammer, but also tough enough to not need to: though not invincible, there are few mortal means that can even make him stag-ger, let alone actually threaten him. He possesses the hammer Mjolnir, a weapon formed from the core of a dying star, making it so dense that it would be impossible to lift if not for the powerful enchantments wrought upon it. Even then, the weapon will only allow a worthy wielder to grasp it, while others must struggle against its immense weight. The weapon also grants him the ability to control lighting, and can both call lightning from the sky and from his hammer itself. Lastly, he’s shown the ability to fl y through use of his hammer.

While many of the above powers are clearly fi ction, there are a few surprising gems of truth in there, specifi cally, his hammer. Even the least dense of stars has a density of over 300 pounds per cubic inch. For comparison, a standard baseball has a volume of roughly 12.31 cubic inches, which means a sun the size of a baseball would weigh roughly 3700 pounds! That is assuming that they used the least dense of stars. For a legendary hammer like this, they would probably have used a much denser star, and some of the densest stars can get over one hundred times the density of lesser stars. That same baseball now weighs 370,000, and Mjolnir is signifi cantly larger than a baseball. It is no wonder then, why none can lift that massive hammer.

However, such a heavy weapon should do far more damage than its portrayal in the movies: In Thor, Thor is seen placing Mjolnir on a downed Loki. Such an act should in theory have rushed Loki, leaving a Decorating with Barn Doors

5KWT

hammer-sized hole in his chest. An argument could be made that Loki’s own heritage allowed him to not suf-fer that fate (being a god himself), but similarly we see in The Aveng-ers, the hammer is thrown around in the ship, at one point landing on the ground where Hulk tries (and ultimately fails) to pick it up: if the weapon was really that heavy, even the ship would not have been able to hold it; Mjolnir should have logically gone straight through the fl oor. Ulti-mately, the hammer, despite this ex-planation, is still fi ction rather than science fi ction.

One more thing worth pointing out is Thor’s ability to fl y. While at fi rst this seems like it would clearly be fi ctional, with a little bit of thought it actually makes some degree of sense. Imagine, for a moment, tak-ing a bowling ball and throwing it as hard as you could down a bowling lane. Instead of it sliding gracefully, however, your hand gets stuck, and you get pulled along with the ball for a short distance before you are able to catch your balance. Now imagine that bowling ball being several hun-dred thousand pounds in weight, and you having the strength to lift a large boat with a single hand. That bowling ball is going to take you on a trip. That is how Thor “fl ies,” by throwing his hammer and not let-ting go, allowing the massive weight of the hammer to carry him into the skies. Of course, once in the air, he doesn’t have any altering of his fl ight path, but with lots of practice, Thor could easily use this tactic to catch up his airborne adversaries. The rare instances where he is seen turning in midair defy scientifi c explanation, but his fl ight, in and of itself, is not as impossible as one would believe

Coffee Shop by Brian B

Do You Choose a Guru or an Ex-pert? Neither…

Two of the best things I have done lately is adopt and ‘Awesome’ dog, and get a library card.

Part One – The Puppy!

People originally said that Buddy Guy was lucky to fi nd a forever home like ours. He is loved, spoiled, and adored by friends and neighbors, but truly WE are the lucky ones. He nudges the bed in the morning (at 100 lbs… a nudge = dis-lodging the mat-tress). If I am on a client call at 3pm… he does the same to my offi ce chair. Let me translate, “Uh Dewd??? It’s 3pm and time for my walk???”! It can be 100° or 10° below zero – Buddy Guy (just like a Honey Badger) don’t care! The only thing that stops us is pour-ing rain or deep snow with un-shoveled roads and sidewalks.

Part Two – The Library Card!

When I was a young entrepreneur, I was a sponge. I also knew at a young age is I was an auditory learner. Some people are better at tactile or visual learners (hence, maybe why I opened a recording studio and was fairly successful at it). I used to lis-ten to audio books from Nightin-gale Conant like “Think and Grow Rich”, “Seven Habits of Highly Ef-fective People”, and people like Zig Zigler, Brian Tracy, Tony Robbins, and more. My business even ven-tured into producing some for lo-cal experts like Lillian Bjorseth and more.

Lately, I discovered something cool when I was giving a presentation at a conference. I was downplay-ing the Dewey Decimal System and the head of the local library was tweaked because I was dissing part of his livelyhood! But he taught me something… “Libraries are cooler now… and our library now has audio books”, but not like you have to go

there and listen to them on audio cassettes, “You can download to your iPod or iPhone!”.

Next… a quick trip my local li-brary, got a li-brary card, then online access to a virtual library! I have down-loaded audio-books from the Aurora Public Library and even bought some from Amazon.com or Audible.com (owned by Amazon).

Part Three – The New Me!

I have been listening to Ted talks or podcasts from The Orchard on walks with Buddy Guy for quite a while, but I recently re-discoverd the audio book, except I started listening to the Brian Tracy’s and Napoleon Hill’s of the Social Networking generation… Michael Hyatt, Chris Brogan, and Seth Godin.

Chris Brogan stated that “If some-one tells you they are a ‘Guru’ or an ‘Expert’, run the other way… fast!”. I was kinda taken aback at that state-ment. I have often called myself an expert based on my knowledge and experience. I thought an expert was someone who has converted, knowledge and experience into re-sults? Then if you look at the defi -nition of a Guru: “An acknowledged and infl uential advocate, as of a

movement or idea”. Guru also has an implied meaning that this per-son has achieved a plateau of total enlightenment. He is right… things are changing so rapidly and there are new platforms, techniques and data every day, that all you can do is educate yourselves and advocate for what you have been able to execute successfully.

By rekindling my passion for audio books, I began to focus on what I re-ally did know and how much I still had to learn. What I have learned so far (on top doing things smarter and better), is that I am more of a experienced practitioner who utilizes knowledge to create personal suc-cess, and then transposes those ex-periences to help others. It’s through constant reading, listening and learning, then trial and error experi-ence, that translates into measurable success for clients.

Become A Trusted Advisor

Here’s some advice about becoming or fi nding a trusted advisor;

First off look at their profi les, ac-counts and interactions. Are they getting lots of comments, likes and shares? If they are not creating great content that is generating interac-tions, then how can you trust them to do that with your messages?Avoid people who are constantly selling themselves or their prod-ucts and services. If they have to sell you that hard, chances are, what they are selling cannot stand on it’s own merits. If someone is truly that good, people fi nd them.Find practitioners of success. Anyone can read a book or a blog and regur-gitate facts, fi gures, and philosophies. What you want to look for is some-one who has had repeated measur-able results. Shear volume increases the chance of catching lightening in a bottle. Look for sustained results in diff erent industries and businesses.So while Buddy Guy sniff s out his pMail, I am sniffi ng out tips, tech-niques and ideas to improve myself and my business!

www.kendallweeklytimes.net

6 KWT

What are some of the tools you use to continue to grow as a trusted advisor?

Job Tracker Hourly rate determined by col-lective bargaining agreement.

This position is governed by a col-lective bargaining agreement and eligible for insurance benefi ts.

ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY

Purpose StatementThe job of Administrative Secretary was established for the purpose/s of providing secretarial support to school site; establishing and main-taining records; compiling and dis-tributing materials and reports; and responding to inquiries from a vari-ety of internal and external sources.This job reports to Ad-ministrator/SupervisorEssential Functions· Collects payments for a va-riety of events (e.g. fi eld trips, fi nes, fees, fund raisers, etc.) for the purpose of completing trans-actions and/or securing funds.· Compiles data for department chairs, administrators. and/or teach-ers (e.g. purchase orders, budget reports, specialized reports, person-nel records, monthly child counts, etc.) for the purpose of prepar-ing reports or processing requests.· Coordinates assigned pro-jects and/or activities (e.g. proper distribution of materials to a vari-ety of departments, student awards/recognition ceremonies, substi-tutes, fi eld trip and bus requests, meetings, etc.) for the purpose of completing activities and/or deliv-ering services in a timely fashion.· Maintains a variety of manual and electronic documents fi les and records (e.g. schedule and records appointments, purchase orders, cor-respondence, current list of text-books, staff attendance logs, student records, expense reimbursement re-quests, etc.) for the purpose of pro-viding up-to-date information and/or historical reference in accordance

with established administrative guidelines and legal requirements.· Maintains inventory of sup-plies and materials (e.g. forms, offi ce supplies, copy machine supplies, etc.) for the purpose of ensuring items’ availability.· Prepares a variety of correspond-ence, reports and other materials (e.g. letters, memorandums, minutes, charts, enrollment reports, spread-sheets, calendars, purchase orders, etc.) for the purpose of documenting activities, providing written refer-ence, and/or conveying information.· Processes a variety of docu-ments and materials (e.g. incom-ing communications, mail, personal development days request forms, textbooks, purchase orders, requisi-tions, travel reimbursements, etc.) for the purpose of disseminating information in compliance with es-tablished administrative guidelines.· Responds to inquiries from a variety of internal and external par-ties (e.g. district staff , other schools, general public, students, etc.) for the purpose of providing information, facilitating communication among parties and/or providing direction.· Schedules activities (e.g. appoint-ments, meetings, etc.) for the pur-pose of making necessary arrange-ments for assigned administrator.Other Functions· Attends department and/or in-service meetings for the purpose of conveying and/or gathering informa-tion required to perform functions.· Performs other related duties as assigned for the purpose of ensuring the effi cient and eff ective function-ing of the work unit.

City of Naperville Employment Equipment TechnicianWater Jobs Online » See all jobs by this advertiserShare on facebookShare on favorites Share on print | More Sharing ServicesMoreBack|Email this Job

City of Naperville seeks experienced Equipment Technician for 1st shift. Duties: Service, maintain and repair fl eet of equipment and vehicles such as fi re apparatus, ambulances, digger derricks & aerial platforms; inspect, diagnose and repair mechanical/electrical problems with gas/diesel powered vehicles and equipment including pneumatic, hydraulic & computerized systems. Requires: HS diploma plus relevant technical training; 3 yrs related experience; ASE certifi cation and EVT, Level III preferred; valid IL Driver’s Li-cense. Must possess complete set of automotive tools + mobile storage. $22.64/hour + great benefi ts. E-mail resume to apply@naperville.il.us, specifying position or see www.na-perville.il.us for more options. EOE

Dollar General in Montgomery IL Customer Service Representative

General Summary: As a Family Dollar Customer Service Representative you will be responsi-ble for providing exceptional service to our customers. Key priorities in-clude greeting customers, assisting them with selection of merchandise,

completing transactions, and an-swering questions regarding the store and merchandise.

Principle Duties & Responsibilities:Provides customer engagement in positive and approachable manner.Assists in maintaining a clean, well-stocked store for customers during their shopping experience.Helps in the unloading of merchandise from delivery trucks, organizes mer-chandise, and transports merchan-dise from stockroom to sales fl oor.Independently stocks shelves and recovers merchandise in the store.Accurately handles custom-er funds and processes trans-actions using the POS system.Remains constantly aware of cus-tomer activity to ensure a safe and secure shopping environment.Performs all other duties as assigned in order to maintain an eff ective and profi table store operation.

Position Requirements: Education: Prefer completion of high school or equivalent. Ability to follow directives and interpret retail operational documents as assigned. Experience: Prefer experience work-ing in retail, hotel, restaurant, gro-cery, or drug store environments. Physical Requirements: Ability to regularly lift up to 40 lbs. (and

http://www.kendallweeklytimes.net/main-street-market.php

7KWT

occasionally, up to 55 lbs.) from floor level to above shoulder height; must be able to meet demands of frequent walking, standing, stooping, kneel-ing, climbing, pushing, pulling, and repetitive lifting, with or without rea-sonable accommodation.

Availability : Ability to work flexible, full-time schedule to include days, evenings, weekends and holidays. Skills & Competencies: Customer Focus, Developing Potential, Re-sults Driven, Strong Organization-al Skills, Communication Skills, Problem Solving/Decision Making, Job Knowledge and Relationship Management.

This week's job finding tips 1. If you build it, they can come. Instead of simply posting your ré-sumé on a Web site, take it one step further and design an easily-navi-gable Web site or online portfolio where recruiters can view your body of work, read about your goals and obtain contact information.

2. Check yourself to make sure you haven't wrecked yourself. Google yourself to see what comes

up -- and what potential employers will see if they do the same. If you don't like what you find, it's time to do damage control.

3. Narrow your options. Many job boards offer filters to help users refine their search results more quickly. You should have the option to narrow your job search by region, industry and duration, and, often-times, you can narrow it even more by keywords, company names, expe-rience needed and salary.

4. Go directly to the source. Instead of just applying for the post-ed job opening, one of the best strat-egies to finding a job is to first figure out where you want to work, target that company or industry and then contact the hiring manager. Also, many employers' career pages invite visitors to fill out candidate profiles, describing their background, jobs of interest, salary requirements and other preferences.

5. Find your niche with industry Web sites. Refine your search even more by vis-iting your industry's national or re-gional Web site, where you can find jobs in your field that might not ap-pear on a national job board. More and more employers are advertising

jobs on these sites in hopes of getting a bigger pool of qualified applicants.

6. Try online recruiters. Recruiters will help match you with jobs that meet your specific skills and needs. Not sure where to start? Sites such as recruiterlink.com, on-linerecruitersdirectory.com, search-firm.com and i-recruit.com provide links to online headhunters for job seekers.

7. Utilize video résumés. Video résumés are just one more way to stand out to employers. In-tended as supplements to -- not re-placements for -- traditional résu-més, video résumés allow job seekers to showcase a little bit of their per-sonalities and highlight one or two points of interest on their résumés.

8. Run queries. You run searches on everything else, from your high school sweetheart to low-fat recipes, so why not jobs? Enter a query that describes the ex-act kind of job you're seeking and you may find more resources you wouldn't find otherwise (but be pre-pared to do some sorting).

9. Utilize job alerts. Most job boards have features that allow you to sign up to receive e-mail

alerts about newly available jobs that match your chosen criteria. Or go a step further and arrange an RSS (really simple syndication) feed from one of these job sites to appear on your customized Internet homepage or your PC's news-reader software.

10. Get connected. How many times have you been told that it's not what you know, but who you know? Thanks to the emergence of professional networking sites like LinkedIn.com, job seekers no long-er have to rely on the old standby of exchanging business cards with strangers. These sites are composed of millions of industry professionals and allow you to connect with people you know and the people they know and so forth. (A word of caution: When you sign up for online social networking sites, you are in a public domain. Unless you are able to put a filter on some of your information, nothing is private, and it can be dif-ficult to erase once it is posted.)

Village of Montgomery 012 Tree Lighting Ceremony and Festival of Trees

8 KWT

9KWT

www.kendallweeklytimes.net

10 KWT

11KWT

12 KWT

13KWT

14 KWT

15KWT

16 KWT

17KWT

Thanks to an ongoing partnership between the Village of Montgomery and the Greater Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, hundreds of area residents come out each year to share in the spirit of the season at the Village of Montgomery’s an-nual Tree Lighting event. This year’s event will be held on Sunday, De-cember 2nd at 5:00 p.m. Visitors will welcome Santa and Mrs. Claus as they arrive on a fire truck, enjoy free cookies and hot cocoa and lis-ten to area school children perform some of their favorite Christmas songs. Visitors are also able to enjoy beautiful Christmas trees displayed throughout the Village Hall and vote for their favorite tree.

The Festival of Trees was a new fea-ture of the event last year, and was such a huge hit that it will be con-tinuing this year. This is an opportu-nity for local businesses to join in the festivities by displaying a decorated tree in Village Hall, promote their business to hundreds of area resi-dents, and possibly earn the coveted title of “Favorite Decorated Tree” in the Village. Trees will be on display on December 2nd at the annual Tree Lighting event, and will remain on display for community viewing and voting through December 20th. All trees will adorn the halls and lob-bies of the Village Hall. There is no charge toparticipate.

The Festival of Trees provides a great opportunity for businesses to reach out to the community. Businesses are encouraged to decorate their tree in a creative way that promotes the business and the products or ser-vices offered. Businesses interested in providing a tree for the Festival of Trees can call Debbie Buchanan at 630-896-8080 x 1114 for additional information and anapplication form. Space is limited and is being offered on a first-come, first served basis.

Last year many businesses partici-pated, with the winning tree provid-ed by Montgomery and Countryside Fire Department. Other honor-able mentions were Orchard Ani-mal Hospital, Brian and Sons Inc. ,

Coffman Trucks, Water Lily Floral, Community Christian Church, Har-ris Bank, Schaeffer Green Houses, Blockbuster, Premier Designs High Fashion, and Kids Heaven Party/Novelty Shop.

Montgomery Announces Holiday Decorations Contest

The Montgomery Beautification Committee will be sponsoring its popular Holiday Decorations Con-testagain this year. As always, this is an opportunity for homes and busi-nesses to be recognized for excep-tional holiday displays. As was done last year, awards will be given only to homes or businesses that are nomi-nated for consideration. Residents can nominate their own property or someone else's, simply by submitting the property address. Committee members will then visit the nomi-nated addresses in order to select the winners. A sign will be placed in front of the properties selected for an award. Owners are asked to leave these signs up through the holidays, and they will be collected after the holidays are over.

Nominations will be accepted up through December 10th, and judg-ing will take place the evening of December 12th. You can nominate a property via the Village website at www.ci.montgomery.il.us or by calling the Village of Montgomery Public Works Department at (630) 896-9241.

Oswego News Free Yard Waste Removal AMNESTY DAY (Free yard waste) – November 12 – 16

Groot Industries will provide a clean-up day in the spring and fall of each year. Service shall be pro-vided on your normal collection day. Groot will collect additional household waste, yard waste and bulk items for all Village residents the week of November 12 – 16, on your normal scheduled garbage day. Residents must place yard waste in

the 30 gallon kraft yard waste bags. PLEASE – NO PLASTIC BAGS! NO stickers will be required (this week only). NOTE – you cannot put out appliances or electronics. Please place all items, along with your reg-ular garbage and recycling by the curb by 6:00 a.m. on your normal scheduled garbage day. If you have any questions regarding this pick up, please contact the Public Works De-partment @ 630-554-3242.

Village of Plain-field VILLAGE NEWS Coffee with the Mayor - November 14 Please join Mayor Collins for coffee and conversation on Wednesday, No-vember 14, 2012 at 9 am at the Vil-lage Hall, 24401 W. Lockport Street. All residents are invited.

Transportation Plan Meeting The Village will be having the sec-ond of three public meetings for Plainfield’s Transportation Plan on Wednesday, November 14, from 6-8 pm, at the Public Works Facility, 14400 Coil Plus Drive. The meeting will be an Open House format with a brief presentation at 7 pm. The pur-pose of the meeting is to present an overview of the proposed transporta-tion improvements and obtain pub-lic input on prioritizing these pro-jects. Copies of the documents that will be presented will be available on the project web site, www.plain-fieldtransportation.com, next week. We invite you to explore the web site to review these documents and the comments on the project thus far. There is also an interactive map for stakeholders to insert comments about transportation system needs within the Village.

Roadwork in the Enclave Roadwork is underway in the En-clave Subdivision. This work will in-clude pavement patching, curb and gutter repairs, sidewalk repairs, and paving of the final roadway surface. The work is scheduled to be com-plete by December 1.

Vision for Division Workshop Scheduled for November 20 Plan to attend the Village’s upcom-ing “Vision for Division” Workshop on Tuesday, November 20, from 6 to 8 pm, at the Village Hall, 24401 W. Lockport Street. Attendees will have the opportunity to provide input on the future of the Route 59 cor-ridor, from Main Street to Union, during this open visioning session. The Village is working with Civic Artworks on the creation of a vi-sion for Division Street (Route 59) and the purpose of the November Visioning Workshop is to encourage residents to take an active role in the planning and design of the corridor. The ideas that receive the most sup-port from the community will direct Civic ArtWorks in the development of plans and illustrations that will in-spire future action. Visit www.vision-division.civicartworks.com for more information.

Renwick Road Bridge The new Renwick Road Bridge is open. Please be aware of the new stop signs on River Road at Ren-wick. Construction is underway on River Road, south of Renwick. A de-tour route for River Road is posted.

Yard Waste Pickup Yard waste pickup continues through the end of November. Please make sure that all yard waste is properly packaged in kraft yard waste bags and/or a Waste Management yard waste cart. The final yard waste pickup (including leaves) will be November 26 for residents with Monday pickup, November 28 for residents with Wednesday pickup, and November 29 for residents with Thursday pickup.

Consolidated Elec-tion Petition Packets Petition packets for the Consoli-dated Election (April 9, 2013) can be picked up at the Village Clerk’s Office. Open positions include the Village President and three (3) Trus-tees. All positions are for a four (4) year term. The first day to file peti-tions is Monday, December 17 at 9 am. The last day to file petitions will

http://www.kendallweeklytimes.net/our-town-news.php

18 KWT

be December 24 from 3-5 pm. For details about becoming an election judge or for other election informa-tion, visit the Will County Clerk’s web site at www.thewillcountyclerk.com or call (815) 740-4632.

Electric Aggregation UpdateThe 16 municipalities that are a part of the Will Electric Aggrega-tion Group selected FirstEnergy Solutions as their new electric sup-plier. The group negotiated a 24 month rate of 4.83 cents per kilo-watt hour, when compared to the Commonwealth Edison rate (8.32 cents per kWh), this represents a 42% savings or about $300 per year for the average household. Eligible residential and small busi-ness customers should have received a notice from the Village and First-Energy Solutions, the new electric supplier. Customers wishing to par-ticipate in the program will not need to take any action to be included.You may receive solicitations from other suppliers to switch your ac-count. If this notice is not explicitly marked as being from the Village or Commonwealth Edison, it is not connected to the electric aggregation program. For more information, read the Will County Governmental League press release or visit www.willelectricaggregation.org.

Sign Up for CUB Energy SaverCUBenergysaver.com is a free, on-line energy effi ciency tool for home-owners. As a member, you can re-ceive personalized energy saving tips, track how much your house-hold has saved each month, and earn points redeemable for coupons and discounts at your favorite local and national retailers. Join today to help reduce your home's energy use.

Christmas Tree CollectionWaste Management will collect Christmas Trees no taller or wid-er than four (4) feet anytime after Christmas. If your tree is larger than these dimensions, please cut it into sections.

Emergency Alert SystemWill County 9-1-1, the Will County Emergency Management Agency, and several Will County industries

have teamed up to provide an en-hanced emergency alert system. The SmartMsg interoperability platform will be used to notify you that an emergency exists in your neighbor-hood regardless if you are home through email, pager, or cell phone text message, even a voice message on your home phone. The Emergen-cy Alerting System is a supplemental warning system, backing up eff ec-tive methods such as sirens and the Emergency Broadcast System. Sign up for the Will County Emergency Notifi cation System.

Offi ce ClosuresThe Village of Plainfi eld Offi ces will be closed on: Thursday, November 22-Friday, November 23; Monday, December 24-Tuesday, December 25, 2012, and Tuesday, January 1, 2013.

Refuse Collection ReminderWaste Management holidays that fall on a refuse collection day will cause collection to be delayed by one day for the remainder of the week. In 2012, refuse collection will be de-layed due to the following holidays: Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, No-vember 22) - Pickup will be de-layed until Friday, November 23 for those with Thursday collection;Christmas Day (Tuesday, December 25) - Pickup will be delayed by one day for residents with Wednesday and Thursday collection days; andNew Year's Day (Tuesday, January 1, 2013) - Pickup will be delayed by one day for residents with Wednes-day and Thursday collection days.

City of Joliet People to Prepare for Winter WeatherNovember is Winter Storm Pre-paredness Month in IllinoisSPRINGFIELD – While the win-ter of 2011-12 brought warmer temperatures and little snow, his-tory shows that is more the ex-ception than the rule for Illinois winters. Freezing temperatures, snow and ice are the norm for most winters in the state, and the Illinois Emergency Manage-ment Agency (IEMA) and the Na-tional Weather Service (NWS)

are encouraging people to begin preparing now for those hazards.IEMA and the NWS will high-light winter storm preparedness throughout November as part of their annual Winter Storm Pre-paredness campaign. “After a long, hot summer, many people have welcomed the cooler fall tem-peratures,” said IEMA Director Jonathon Monken. “But dan-gerous winter weather, like ex-treme cold, heavy snow and ice, is just around the corner. During November, we’ll be encourag-ing people to get prepared so they can stay safe at home and when they travel this winter.”A winter storm preparedness guide developed by IEMA, the NWS and the American Red Cross covers winter weather terms and tips for staying safe at home, in the car and at work or school. The guide is available on the Ready Illinois website at www.Ready.Illinois.gov or by calling 217-785-9925.Severe winter weather can cause widespread power outages and dangerous driving conditions. That’s why IEMA and the NWS recommend emergency supply kits for your home and vehicle. A home emergency supply kit should be stocked with items to help residents stay safe for at least three days. The kits should include a battery-powered Na-tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather alert radio, a fl ashlight, extra bat-teries, non-perishable food, wa-ter, a fi rst-aid kit, extra medica-tions and special items needed for babies, disabled or elderly family members and family pets.

City of Naperville Events for 11/15/2012 to 12/15/2012

November 20TuesdayMunicipal Meetings

8:30 AM - 10:30 AMCom-mercial Tenant Build-OutMeeting Rooms BC, Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle St.

http://www.naperville.il.us/ctbo.aspxNovember 20TuesdayMunicipal Meetings

7:00 PM - 11:00 PM-City Council MeetingCouncil Chambers, Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle St.

http://www.naperville.il.us/ccinfo.aspx

City of Aurora New Winter Lights Walk Ushers In Holiday SeasonDowntown Aurora is ready to shine with a brand new tradition to wel-come in the 2012 holiday season.The Winter Lights holiday walk, which will be held from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, is a free, family-friendly event featuring art, music, lights, complimentary re-freshments and the lighting of the City’s offi cial holiday tree. The fes-tivities will take place on Down-er Place, Stolp Avenue and Ga-lena Boulevard in the downtown.Patrons are invited to shop at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Place, where more than a dozen local and regional artisans will have numerous holiday treasures on display for purchase. Families can watch ice sculptor Joe Gagnepain perfect his craft outside the Art and History Center before strolling through luminaria-lit streets listening to holiday carols. The Fox Valley Festival Chorus, which has been selected to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City next spring, will be singing holiday favorites at 5:30 p.m. at the Millennium Plaza along the Fox River on Stolp Avenue. Following the choir performance, pa-trons can head over to North Island Center, 8 E. Galena Blvd., where the City of Aurora’s offi cial holiday tree will be lit for the fi rst time at 6 p.m. Santa and Mrs. Claus, along with the Miss Merry Christmas and Jack Frost winners, will be on hand to help

19KWT

20 KWT

Mayor Tom Weisner light the tree.Parents are encouraged to bring their cameras because Santa will be available for photos back at the Art and History Center following the tree lighting. Other holiday treats will be available for purchase at Riv-er’s Edge Café, 14 W. Downer Place, where various musical groups will be performing throughout the evening.Local businesses are encouraged to take part and decorate for the Winter Lights event, and a trave-ling trophy will be awarded to the best decorated store front. Business owners wanting to participate can pick up an application at the City’s Community Services Department, 5 E. Downer Place, Suite A. Ap-plications can be returned to Dee Basile via email at dbasile@aurora-il.org or by fax at 630-256-3379. Decorations must be completed and displayed by Wednesday, Nov. 14. Judging will take place on Thursday, Nov. 15 and the win-ner will be announced during the holiday tree lighting ceremony.Featured Winter Lights artists are Laura Nicholson Tom, jewelry; Retta Hentschel, stained glass; Cory Mc-Crory, clay; Carolyn Krainak, glass jewelry; Jen Evans, painting; Cher-yl Holz, mixed media and jewelry; Fawn Clark Peterson, clay sculp-ture; Maureen Gasek, painting and jewelry; Tania Blanco, cards; Tammy Deck, felt clothing; Anne Von Ehr, pastels; Cass Alexander, hand-cut silhouettes; Jeff Weber, candles and hand-crafted guitars; Natasha Lehr-er, fi ber arts; Joyce Reuland, books and cards; and Susan Borghesi, clay.Other local musicians scheduled to perform are the Empty Can Band, East Aurora High School, Aurora Christian School, Cub Scout Pack 643 and Girl Scout Troop 4187. The event is sponsored by the City of Aurora in conjunction with Cul-tural Creatives, Inc., the Aurora Public Art Commission and Rotary Club of Aurora.

Car Standings PositionDriverTotal PtsBe-hindStartsPolesWinsTop

5Top 10DNFWinnings1Brad Keselowski2371 --350513231$6,118,8702Jimmie Johnson2351 20354518245$8,016,2433Kasey Kahne2321 50354212194$4,640,8364Clint Bowyer2319 5235039224$5,282,3335Denny Hamlin2309 62353514174$6,808,1606Matt Kenseth2297 74351313191$7,409,1617Greg Biffl e2293 78353211200$5,540,9388Kevin Harvick2285 8635015132$5,653,7959Tony Stewart2284 87351312162$6,472,65010Martin Truex Jr.2260 11135107182$5,160,42711Jeff Gordon2256 115352110175$5,778,96812Dale Earnhardt Jr.2211 160331110190$5,078,17013Kyle Busch1091 1,280352112194$6,361,07314Ryan Newman1009 1,36235015135$5,203,18315Carl Edwards998 1,37335103132$5,224,99916Paul Menard973 1,3983500191$3,977,42517Joey Logano935 1,43635112123$3,961,35318Marcos Ambrose918 1,4533521384$4,664,60519Jeff Burton858 1,5133500262$5,050,90520Jamie McMurray844 1,5273500034$4,461,80021Aric Almirola831 1,5403510133$4,652,58522Juan Pablo Montoya794 1,5773520025$4,392,92323Bobby Labonte753 1,6183500022$4,035,13624Regan Smith733 1,6383300144$3,857,28325Kurt Busch700 1,6713400146$3,957,29026Mark Martin673 1,69823404105$2,788,29827Travis Kvapil620 1,7513400013$3,513,353

Game of the Week Meta Valley Vs. Oswe-go East Girls Basketall Pregame: Metea Valley @ Oswego EastGirls Varsity Basketball Winter 12-13Print E-mail ShareThis pregame page is for the game that is on Friday, November 16, 2012 @ 7:30 PM.

View a diff erent pregame / match-upMetea Valley MustangsTeam RecordsOverallWin %PFPA1-0-01.0005834Record BreakdownHomeAwayNeutralLeague1-0-00-0-00-0-00-0-0Os-

wego East WolvesTeam RecordsOverallWin %PFPA0-0-0000Record BreakdownHomeAwayNeutralLeague0-0-00-0-00-0-00-0-0

NBA LEADERS 1. C. AnthonyNY26.8t-2. K. BryantLAL26.4t-2. J. HardenHou26.44. L. JamesMia24.65. K. IrvingCle24.36. K. DurantOkC24.27. O. MayoDal21.88. R. GayMem20.79. R. WestbrookOkC20.7t-10. 2 tiedPor20.5

www.kendallweeklytimes.net

21KWT

22 KWT

23KWT

24 KWT

Rebounds 1. K. DurantOkC9.62. A. Jeff ersonUta8.9t-3. Z. RandolphMem8.7t-3. A. VarejaoCle8.7t-5. O. AsikHou8.5t-5. T. DuncanSA8.57. L. JamesMia7.88. D. LeeGS7.89. B. Griffi nLAC7.5t-10. 2 tiedBos7.4