Jeff Ward

Lions, Tigers and Mountain Bikers, Oh My!

Geneva, you really need to loosen up a bit!

Shades of Altamont! By the tone of some of your over-the-top reactions you’d think those Hells Angels were taking up permanent residence in Wheeler Park. Why do I suddenly expect a group of downtown Genevans to break into a chorus from The Music Man? Of course, something like that might make Swedish Days a heck of a lot more interesting. And this time it’s mountain bikers! I swear, some of you have way too much time on your hands. The next thing you know we’ll be taking on hippies and consarned rock 'n' roll music. Though my June 11 presence at the County Board meeting was aimed at the outcome of the ages-old ethics ordinance debate, once that fandangle was finally settled, my good friend and Geneva businessman Rob Kelley convinced me to …

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Settler's Hill With 'Ravinia-Style' Events Center?

Kane County Board member Mike Donahue outlines some of the county's plans.

There are two items on Monday night's City Council agenda worthy of note: the budget, and Mike Donahue's presentation on the Settler's Hill "end use" plan. The budget, of course, is of immediate interest and impact. But perhaps the more intriguing of the two in the long haul is the possiblity of what might be at Settler's Hill Landfill. The agenda packet doesn't include a lot of information except for a map. The map, however, includes some interesting footnotes. For example: The Ravinia-style concert area would be on existing Fabyan Forrest Preserve property across the street from the Fabyan windmill. The footprint of the plan extends all the way to the intersection of Route 25 and Fabyan Parkway. There's a lot more, of course, but we'll …

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Methane Gas Appears to Lessen in Area of Landfills

Updates on local government websites show methane at two probes south of Fabyan and one north of Fabyan. Other tests come up negative.

Methane levels near Fabyan Parkway appear to be going down and are not widespread, according to local government websites this week. Methane gas continues to be detected at two underground probes outside of the landfill complex north of Fabyan Parkway, according to Jan. 3 and 4 updates on the Geneva, Batavia and Kane County government websites. A gas probe installed at Raddant Road north of Fabyan also encountered methane 40 ft. underground, the City of Batavia reported Wednesday. The two previous underground probes are located immediately south of the landfill complex: one near Raddant Road, south of Fabyan Parkway, and one on the north side of Orion Street, between Surrey and Nagel. "After hundreds of tests, these are the only locations …

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No. 3 of 2011: Methane Gas Spreads Outside Landfills

The jury still is out as to whether the methane-gas story is a minor issue or one that will gain attention in 2012.

  Since we're running this particular "Top 10 Stories of 2011" article on Jan. 1, I thought it would be appropriate to include a little "look ahead." There is no way that the methane gas story ranks as the No. 3 story of the year. I probably should have replaced it with the Fermilab Tevatron closing, the Delnor/DCH merger or the Max/Karen Dobner synthetic drugs story. But since this series is primarily a just-for-fun intellectual exercise, I thought I'd toss the methane onto the table along with a little perspective. I was working for The Geneva Republican back in the 1980s when local officials and Waste Management were talking about creating Settler's Hill Landfill, and methane was one of the concerns back then. Another biggy was the …

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Probe Finds Methane Gas South of Batavia Rehab Center

A Tuesday update from Batavia City Hall indicates methane gas was discovered underground on Orion Street between Surrey Road and Nagel Boulevard on the city's north side.

A Waste Management probe on Tuesday found methane gas south of Batavia Rehabilitation & Health Care, the City of Batavia announced. The probe is located on Orion Street, between Surrey and Nagel. The city shared information about the discovery in updates time stamped at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday. Batavia Rehabilitation & Health Care Center is a facility for seniors who are recovering from injuries or surgery and require special medical attention. The center was tested before Christmas and no actual methane was discovered there, said Julie Hearst, a regional marketing director works with Batavia's center. "In response to this concern, Waste Management representatives, accompanied by city of Batavia Public Works employees, are in the process…

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City of Geneva Says Methane Present Outside Landfill, East of Nagel Boulevard

The report says the gas was discovered in a Batavia industrial site, but there has been no indication of methane gas spreading toward Geneva.

The city of Geneva reports in its e-mailed newsletter and website that probes have found methane gas beyond the former Settler's Hill and Midway landfill sites. The methane was reported to the city of Geneva over the weekend of Dec. 17-18, discovered by a probe in an industrial park east of Nagel Boulevard. The probe had been installed along Raddant Road, about 100 yards south of Fabyan Parkway in Batavia, according to the city report. The report says, "There has been no indication of methane gas spreading toward Geneva." The former Midway Landfill is located north of Fabyan Parkway in the area of the former Kane County Jail and adjacent to the Settler's Hill facility. As part of the planning and operation of Settler's Hill, Waste …

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