Thursday, May 27, 2010

Thank you to the citizens that stopped the bad project in the wrong place.

May 27, 2010

Letter to the editor

The concerned citizens from all around DuPage County that spoke up to stop the giveaway of 4 acres of our forest preserve land along with an uncapped number of heavy industrial diesel engines running 24/7 365 days a year next to a school for children with autism and the homes of thousands should be applauded.

Navistar wanted and got a beautiful building and corporate campus for 1/3 of the asking price, a recently approved 43 Million dollar tax break (called EDGE credits) from the state and a planned TIF (property tax break) worth an estimated 100 Million dollars and that wasn't good enough? I think they pulled out of this great deal because they just did not want to testify under oath at the meetings that were to start this week about the number of jobs and exact operations they planned at this site.

Navistar has continued to take multi Million dollar tax breaks from communities across North America and leave them with polluted sites the communities are left to cleanup - if they can. I'll bet anyone that Navistar's next step is to begin to ask for millions of our tax dollars from Warrenville and DuPage County to stay at their offices on Winfield Rd.

Don Kirchenberg

Mobile 630-853-7650

247 E Lincoln Ave., Glendale Hts, IL 60139

Check out info. on the trails at www.friendsofthegreatwesterntrails.com

Feel free to pass along this email or the single one page attachment.

 
Don Kirchenberg
630-853-7650 Mobile
For news on trails and the environment go to www.friendsofthegreatwesterntrails.com
 Join us on FACEBOOK at http://www.facebook.com/search/?o=69&sfxp=1&c1=3&c2=45

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Meeting 6/9 at 7PM in the City of Wheaton for trail users and bicycle riders

All bicycle riders and trail users that travel in and through the City of Wheaton should attend a mtg. on 6/9 at 7PM to help create Wheaton's bike plan.
 
 WHEATON, Ill. – Wheaton officials want to hear what you think would make your community more bicycle-friendly. Attend a public meeting at 7 p.m. June 9 in the Gamon Room of City Hall, 303 W. Wesley St., to tell them where you are already biking and where you wish you could bike.

City officials are particularly interested learning about common roads used for cycling in the city and potential bicycling programs that the city could establish.

All Wheaton residents are invited to attend. This is your chance to help shape Wheaton's first bike plan.

Representative from the Wheaton Environmental Improvement Commission, various City departments, the Wheaton Park District, DuPage County Forest Preserve District and Community Unit School District 200 have formed a task force to develop the Wheaton Bike Plan.
 
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For those that can not attend the meeting you are encouraged to contact Mayor Michael Gresk via email at mgresk@wheaton.il.us 
 
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FYI www.saferoadways.net has a lot of good info and links to issues related to the trails and safer travels for folks wanting to travel without having to get behind a steering wheel. Pass it on.
 
Feel free to pass along this email.
 
Don Kirchenberg
630-853-7650 Mobile
For news on trails and the environment go to www.friendsofthegreatwesterntrails.com
 Join us on FACEBOOK at http://www.facebook.com/search/?o=69&sfxp=1&c1=3&c2=45

Friday, May 14, 2010

Finally - alternatives to Com Ed!

IDEA read this article and bookmark it as a favorite site. It is something to pass along to others concerned with Com Ed and its contractor Asplundh. Click here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0516-blue-star--20100516,0,7114543.story
 
Consider changing to what can be a "better renewable sourced electricity" at competitive rates.
 
And yes Com Ed would be "delivering the electric power" over the same power lines. But when they lose customers and customers tell them they are leaving because of their "deadly tree management practices" they will get the message and begin to change.
 
Please note efforts by DuPage County Board member Rita Gonzalez and the Friends of the Great Western Trails are still underway with the IL Commerce Commission to set a real tree maintenance standard that will be enforced for all power companies across IL.
 
Feel free to pass along this email.
 
Don Kirchenberg
Voluntary Chairman, Friends of the Great Western Trails
630-853-7650 Mobile
For news on trails and the environment go to www.friendsofthegreatwesterntrails.com
Join us on FACEBOOK at http://www.facebook.com/search/?o=69&sfxp=1&c1=3&c2=45 

Monday, May 3, 2010

press release thanking a Boy Scout & Kiwanis Club of Central DuPage

The Friends of the Great Western Trails would like to thank Boy Scout Tyler Dugan, his mother Sandy, the 14 volunteers from Troop 34 including Mr. Mike McPherson the Eagle Scout coordinator for a job well done today Saturday. May 1.  For Tyler's Eagle Scout project on Bloomingdale Road at the Great Western Trail (GWT) in Glendale Heights, IL they cleaned a section of the GWT, planted a Royal Star Magnolia tree and several Cheddar Pink perennial flowers. In addition, they improved the area by spray painting the trash can, cleaned the vandalism off the wooden bench and stained it. Boy Scout Troop 34 is sponsored by St Michael's Catholic Church in Wheaton, IL and is led by Scoutmaster Dr. Kozeny.

 

We also want to thank the Kiwanis Club of Central DuPage led by its President Richard Dunn for sponsoring the project and for the generous donation of $250.00 from the Kiwanis. Without the idea, money and support of the Kiwanis Club of Central DuPage we would not have an improved Great Western Trail. Also donating to this project was the Jewel Food Store in Wheaton (at Main and Geneva) and the Home Depot store in Wheaton (on Main Street just north of Geneva). We also had the event photographed by a professional photographer Bonniejean Alford Hinde which was arranged by the Kiwanis Club.
 
See the attached press release for more information and a couple of photographs.
 
Don Kirchenberg
630-853-7650 Mobile
For news on trails and the environment go to www.friendsofthegreatwesterntrails.com
Join us on FACEBOOK at http://www.facebook.com/search/?o=69&sfxp=1&c1=3&c2=45