After Rate-Hike Flap, Mill Creek Water Reclamation District Has New Website

A government body just became a little more open and easy to find, following a 32 percent rate increase and with more increases likely to come.

It's still a little bare-boned, but the Mill Creek Water Reclamation District has its own website for the first time. The website was established following a 32 percent rate increase that was approved on Jan. 17 and will go into effect on Feb. 1. The Water Reclamation District Board had proposed a 38 percent increase, but pulled back after residents protested. Because there had not been many rate hikes over the years, the MCWRD went about its business in comparative anonymity for a taxing body for the two decades it had been in existence. The board consists of three members appointed by the Kane County Board chairman. They are entrusted in overseeing the water and sewer service for the city-sized Mill Creek subdivision located west of …

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Hey! Maybe 5 Inches of Snow Coming!

Finally, a little taste of winter is on the way. Be careful driving tomorrow.

Ah, how we've missed our Hazardous Weather Warnings. It's been too long. Today, of course, was again amazing, wonderful, unseasonably warm, right? Well, the National Weather Service is reporting that it will all be over tonight. In contrast to earlier forecasts, a Winter Storm Watch has been issued for the Chicagoland area, including Kane County and good old 41.88°N 88.32°W. The storm is on schedule to set in by Thursday morning and could continue through Friday morning. Follow Geneva Patch on Facebook! Weather.com is predicting temperatures will drop into the low 30s tonight with a 100 percent chance of snow tomorrow.  The National Weather Service is warning residents to expect up to 5 inches of snow tomorrow during the day, with wind …

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UPDATE: Geneva Ace Hardware Is Open Today!

Soft opening of the new Ace Hardware starts today, Jan. 4.

8 A.M.—It's unconfirmed—that means, I haven't gotten over there to purchase a 3/4-inch pipe nipple yet—but sources say the new Ace Hardware at 617 West State St. is open today. The reliable sources say it's a "soft launch," which means that the big announcement is coming after the store has been up and running for a few days or weeks. Geneva residents George and Lynn Havlicek are the owners, and the opening of the store has been much anticipated since the former Ace Hardware became Geneva Hardware, then moved to the former Dominick's buidling in St. Charles, then closed. Last I noted, the Geneva Hardware store is still having a liquidation sale. 10 A.M. UPDATE: It is confirmed. Nice crowd already this morning. I didn't get the 3/4-inch …

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Mike Donahue

8:28 am on Thursday, January 5, 2012

The store looks great! Best wishes to George and Lynn. Thank you for bringing Ace back to downtown Geneva.   more ›

On the Web: Fermilab's Supercollider Still Yielding Information for Scientists

Fermilab data still drives particle physics. Here's a roundup of Fermi-related stories onlne.

Fermilab's Tevatron particle accelerator was shut down on Sept. 30 after helping scientists study the building blocks of matter—subatomic particles—for the last 30 years. An article in Voice Of America reports that scientists are still analyzing the massive amounts of data Tevatron produced before it was shut down. Dr. Robert Roser has spent more than 20 years looking for the elusive Higgs Boson particle. He estimates a final analysis of whether or not it even exists should be ready by next spring.  You can read more on Dr. Roser's work in this article in The Elburn Herald. There's also a very nice tribute to Fermilab on the Economist website, which is an older story, but it talks about Project X and some other concepts that should keep …

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Geneva History Center Accepts Resignation of Museum Educator Margaret Selakovich

Board of Directors accepts resignation with both regret and best wishes.

The Geneva History Center Board of Directors has accepted with regret the resignation of full-time Museum Educator Margaret Selakovich as of Dec. 31. Selakovich served as the museum educator since 2004 and previously as a Geneva History Center volunteer for many years. Because of her education background, Selakovich was instrumental in increasing school-children's attendance at the museum by more than 60 percent. Today, more than 86 percent of Geneva school students visit the History Center. Adult programming grew substantially during Selakovich’s tenure, with 50 programs annually serving more than 26,000 visitors. Geneva History Center Executive Director Terry Emma said Selakovich has accepted a position in another field, but she might …

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Someone Throws Rock Through Window, Breaks Mac

Criminal damage to property takes computer as casualty.

If you were writing a spy novel, or one of those Girl With the Dragon Tattoo books, you'd say, "Ah ha! This looks like standard vandalism or an angry act, but really what's going on is the iBook contained top secret, classified information that's going to lead to the capture of international terrorists or become the story of the century in Sweden. Anyway, take away the overactive imagination, and you're still left with a nasty story—a smashed window, a chipped window and hardware in harm's way. Here's the blotter item: Criminal Damage to Property Over $300—Someone threw a rock through the passenger-side window of a Honda Accord parked in the lot of Country House, 2095 South Kirk Road, sometime between 8 p.m. 9:20 p.m. Nov. 14, reports said…

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Style Central

These Boots Are Made for Walkin'

Will one-hit wonders never cease? Probably not, but boots will always endure.

When Nancy Sinatra became popular with her 1966 hit song, These Boots Are Made For Walkin', I wondered, who told her she could sing? Then it dawned on me. Her father, of course! Looking through the old blue eyes of love, no doubt. But, here’s something for which I give Nancy Sinatra all the credit in the world. She single-handedly made boots the fashion statement of the decade. It’s true. When go-go boots hit the style scene, girls of all ages across the globe went wild for them, especially in London, New York and California. As a matter of fact, they even became prolific in my little college town of Winona, MN for heaven sakes. We all bought them and we all wore them every chance we got. Who knew? The extraordinary thing about the '60s …

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BBB

12:45 pm on Wednesday, November 16, 2011

You are correct about me saying "conservatism has been in ever increasing retreat." I should have said something like : certainly on many social fronts - if not economic ones - conservatism would appear to be in ever increasing retreat.   more ›

GHS Fall Play Takes Audience Back to 'Kindergarten' Nov. 11-13

The Geneva High School Fall Play is ‘All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.’

“Share everything. Play fair. Don’t hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life. Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.” These words of wisdom, along with a lot of other sage advice, come from the pages of Robert Fulghum’s best-selling book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. And these lessons will be brought to life at Geneva High School, Nov. 11-13. “Most of what I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be, I learned in …

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Beth Bales

Beth Bales: Cause for 'Glee?' Winning Money to Fix Up GHS Auditorium

A Geneva High School senior filmed a video submission for the 'Glee Give a Note' contest to support music education and the performing arts. Vote early and often, to give the school a chance to win a grant.

Want to help make improvements to Geneva High School’s auditorium—without spending a dime? Vote for GHS senior Luke Totman’s video submission in the “Glee Give a Note” campaign.  Online voting has begun in the contest, which will award 73 schools grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 to help fund music education. Schools had to submit videos about why their school deserves the money.  The campaign was created by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment in partnership with the National Association for Music Education to help support music and arts programs in public schools. And what better way than tapping into the popularity of a hit television show–Glee–that’s all about the arts? Making the video was a natural for Totman, who is …

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Beth Bales

10:31 am on Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The link is within the story, but here it is again: http://www.gleegiveanote.com/vote_details.php?id=74 And by the way, voting must be limited by IP address. I tried to vote on my laptop last night and wasn't allowed to. BUT -- you could still vote on a work computer!   more ›

Accident with Injuries: Van Plows Into Parked Car on Anderson Boulevard Around 10 AM Monday

Anderson Boulevard closed for at least 20 minutes between Center and Union streets.

Geneva police responded to an accident with injuries on Anderson Boulevard a little before 10 a.m. Monday. Witnesses said a white minivan collided with a parked car on Anderson Boulevard. They said the air bag of the van was deployed and the driver of the van was taken from the scene by ambulance. Police blocked off Anderson Boulevard between Center and Union streets. The crash took place about a block from Geneva High School, but classes were in session and there was no disruption of the school day. Anderson Boulevard neighbors said they heard a loud bang, went outside, saw the minivan had struck the parked car and called 911. Geneva responders arrived at the scene within 5 minutes, they said. Geneva Patch will provide additional …

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