By Melissa Jenco

Source Chicago Tribune

Time and time again, Naperville Police Chief Bob Marshall has seen police officers rush into dangerous situations, from Boston to Newtown to his own hometown.

“When police officers are asked about the dangers, the risks intrinsic to these types of situations oftentimes they simply state, ‘”It’s just what we do,’” Marshall said.

To honor the officers who lost their lives in those dangerous situations, Marshall led the Naperville Police Department’s annual Peace Officers Memorial Observance as part of National Police Week.

Last year 120 officers around the country lost their lives while on the job, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

“We recognize police officers live in a world where heroism is expected but seldom rewarded,” chaplain Tom Ross said.

He led the group that gathered at the city’s memorial wall in prayer.

“We honor their lives of service to the oath of office to serve and protect,” he said. “We have commended them to your care. We commend also their families who will always suffer their loss.”

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By Melissa Jenco

Source Chicago Tribune

Naperville Unit District 203′s total budget is going up about 5.25 percent in the coming fiscal year, but officials say the budget is balanced.

The increase is due in part to rising staff costs, construction projects and the start of an all-day kindergarten program.

The total budget, if approved by the school board this summer, is $253.6 million, which includes $243.7 million in operating costs, $6.4 million in construction and $3.6 million in debt, according to Chief Financial Officer Dave Zager.

Roughly 78.2 percent of the operating budget consists of employee costs. Salary spending is going up 3.3 percent while benefits are up 4.9 percent.

The district’s 2013-14 budget also includes implementation of all-day kindergarten at seven elementary schools in the fall as well as wireless internet upgrades.

The $6.4 million in construction projects include gymnasium/multipurpose room additions at Elmwood, Steeple Run and Prairie elementary schools as well as additions/remodeling at Naper, Ellsworth and Ranch View.

Total revenue is expected to go up 1.83 percent in the coming fiscal year, according to Zager. Roughly 84.2 percent of the district’s revenue comes from property taxes while 8.1 percent is from the state, 2.7 percent from the federal government and 5 percent is from other sources.

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By Gary Gibula

Source Chicago Tribune

As water rose in downtown Naperville along the Riverwalk, a good Samaritan noticed an unusual visitor hanging around a flooded parking lot.

With a report of a duck, possibly injured, Naperville Animal Control officers expected to find a misplaced mallard. Instead, they found a fluffy yellow duckling, about one month old, that probably would have felt more at home on a farm than in the DuPage River.

“This little guy was found by the Burger King right after the flood,” said Christine Maybach, an Animal Control officer for more than 16 years. “We don’t know whether he floated in with the flood or if somebody dumped him.”

Maybach identified it as a Pekin or Long Island duck, a species used in the farming industry for eggs and meat. The officers gave him a name, Waffles, and shared his picture on the city’s website and Facebook page, as they do with other animals, in case anybody was looking for him.

When he wasn’t claimed, a farmer outside of Naperville adopted the domestic duck.

It’s an example of the kind of thing Naperville’s animal control officers handle, along with calls about stray dogs and cats.

“We got a 3-foot alligator once,” said Maybach. “Somebody let it loose on the golf course. We gave him to the Chicago Herpetological Society.”

Other rescues have included an emu that was on Interstate 88 near Aurora and an Arctic fox.

“The fox was somebody’s pet,” said Maybach. “We found him and brought it back to the owner, who had a legal ownership permit.”

Maybach said the officers provide more than just lost and found services.

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By Melissa Jenco

Source Chicago Tribune

Pedestrians on Naperville’s southeast side may eventually have a safer way to cross the DuPage River.

City Council unanimously approved a plan to widen a bridge on Washington Street to include sidewalks.

“I think this is such a bad situation,” Councilman Joe McElroy said of the current configuration. “We’ve got a neighborhood where people can’t get to a park right on the other side without risking their lives and some people do on Washington Street.”

The current bridge on Washington Street just south of Ring Road carries four lanes of traffic, but does not have a walkway despite its proximity to both Weigand Riverfront Park and Riverwoods Park. In a city memo, project manager Jennifer Louden called it a “major gap in the pedestrian network.”

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By Gary Gibula

Source Chicago Tribune

If you ask Steve Tiwald or Brook McDonald the meaning of “sustainability,” they’ll explain the concept as not using resources faster than they can be replenished.

The two environmentalists operate nonprofit organizations in Naperville that work hand in hand to provide education, grow organic vegetables and conserve land for area residents.

Founded in 2002, the Green Earth Institute runs an organic farm that leases 49 acres owned by the Conservation Foundation. Main offices for both groups are at McDonald Farm, 10S404 Knoch Knolls Road.

“Our two organizations are friends,” said McDonald, Conservation Foundation executive director. “We collaborate and work together on various projects. While each of us is very supportive of the other’s activities, our two groups have very separate missions.”

“We’re a nonprofit dedicated to nutritional health and environmental sustainability,” said Tiwald, executive director of the Green Earth Institute. It runs educational programs for children and adults, and Tiwald also teaches organic farming and supervises a food co-op.

“It’s called community-supported agriculture,” Tiwald said. “People buy a share of the harvest in advance, then come to the farm every one or two weeks and pick up a three-quarter bushel of freshly harvested vegetables.”

The price works out to about $35 per box, which could contain up to 40 different types of certified organic vegetables.

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By Melissa Jenco

Source Chicago Tribune

Downtown Naperville will be getting a new Irish pub despite concerns from some councilmen about underage drinking and police protection.

The City Council voted 8-1 Tuesday to allow Ballydoyle pub owner Phil Cullen to have a late-night liquor permit to open its fourth restaurant, Empire, at Chicago Avenue and Main Street.

The pub will have a capacity of about 440 to 500 people with seating areas on the main floor as well as the rooftop and would feature craft beer, craft burgers and live music.

The site is the former home of Rosebud and has been vacant for nearly three years following a fire. Several councilmen applauded Cullen for taking on a building that will need significant renovations.

“We have one establishment that comes in with a challenging property who is going to make a substantial investment even after the flood … and he’s still willing to step up to the plate,” Councilman Doug Krause said.

Councilman Paul Hinterlong also expressed confidence in Cullen.

“This is a guy that’s experienced in bars and has good proven record and he also wants to make it more family-oriented, which is something all our other bars and restaurants … aren’t moving toward,” he said.

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