Kayak Kollege at Whalon Lake in Naperville

“Kayak Kollege,” an introduction to kayaking workshop sponsored by the Forest Preserve District of Will County, will be Saturday, July 7, 2012, with two workshops offered, at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., at Whalon Lake, in Naperville.  Registration and a fee of $20.00 per person are required for these workshops for persons at least 12 years of age.

“Kayak Kollege” introduces participants to the fun of kayaking.  Basic instruction and safety are covered on shore, after which participants will have plenty of time out on the waters of Whalon Lake to try out new skills.  All equipment is provided, including life jackets.  (Participants may bring their own kayaks.) 
 
Youngsters between the ages of 12-17 years old must be accompanied by a registered adult.   

The sand beach launch area is accessible by a paved sidewalk.


Whalon Lake is located on Royce Road, 1 mile west of Route 53, in Naperville.  The workshop will be held at the shelter along the Whalon Lake shoreline.

For registration and information, call 708/534-8499.


In providing programs and services to the public, the Forest Preserve District of Will County will make reasonable modifications to ensure that all people have an equal opportunity to enjoy District offerings.  For more information, visit ReconnectWithNature.org/ADA.

Car Show and Concert in Channahon

“Music at McKinley” outdoor concert and car show, a free program sponsored by the Forest Preserve District of Will County, will be Saturday, June 23, 6:00-10:00 p.m., at McKinleyWoods—Kerry Sheridan Grove, in Channahon.

The program will begin with a classic car show at 6:00 p.m.  Tour these vintage machines that will be on display throughout the evening.  At 7:00 p.m., the outdoor concert will begin.  Soul Motion will perform rock and roll, R&B and soul classics in the beautiful surroundings of Kerry Sheridan Grove.

Pack your cooler with cold beverages and bring a lawn chair or blanket to enjoy a night of music under the stars.  Food and beverages will be available for purchase from Heroes West Sports Grill.

The concert is open to those at least 16 years in age.  No reservations or tickets are necessary. 

Sponsors for “Music at McKinley” include Chiro One Wellness Centers, Bill Jacobs Subaru, Chicagoland Speedway, Enbridge, Exelon Nuclear, Northern Illinois Steel Supply Company and Casey’s General Store.

The event is hosted along paved pathways on manicured lawn.


Map:

View Forest Preserve District of Will County in a larger map

IYC Joliet to Close October 31, 2012

A memo from Acting Superintendent of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice Lisa Nordstrom to state employees states "a final decision has been made with regard to the previously announced closures of correctional facilities and youth centers."

The memo states Illinois Youth Center-Joliet will have an effective date of closure of October 31, 2012.   Other facilities that will close according to the memo are the Dwight Correctional Center, the Tamms Correctional Center and the Illinois Youth Center-Murphysboro.

In April of 2012, hundreds packed a state closure hearing urging state lawmakers to keep IYC-Joliet open:






UPDATE: State Senator Pat McGuire's response to Quinn's decision to close IYC-Joliet can be found here.

"Oklahoma!" Now Playing in Joliet

By Mary Baskerville, Carriage Stone Communications

JOLIET--“Oh, what a beautiful morning.”

Oh, what a wonderful setting for community theatre—the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park.  Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic “Oklahoma!” fills the stage with delightful and familiar characters.  The play is presented in cooperation with Latitude 41 Theatre, billed as “Joliet’s newest community theatre group.” 

                                                            

Performances continue on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 22, 23, and 24,  and again on June 29, 30 and July 1.  Ticket information, visit the web at http://bicentennialpark.org/main.html

 More on Bicentennial Park in Joliet:

History drifts along the

shores of the Des Plaines River Bank

A nostalgia note about the Bicentennial Park

August 31, 1973 was a day of excitement in Joliet. Important visitors were expected to arrive by canoe.  Reenactors portraying Louis Jolliet and Pere Jacques Marquette, along with their band of voyagers, paddled up the river to the site of what would become today’s Bicentennial Park.

The landing on the banks of the Des Plaines River celebrated the 300-year mark of Louis Jolliet and Pere Jacques Marquette’s voyage of exploration on the river.

The Joliet Tricentennial Committee took charge of welcoming the visitors, hosting a downtown parade, and welcoming dinner. Early entries into the parade included the Joliet YMCA Indian Guides, Sea Ship Explorers #44, Joliet Township West Band, Gompers Junior High Band, the Lassies of Stone City Post 2199 and the Pat Petites.  A parade viewing stand was in front of the Rialto Theatre.

A Joliet-Marquette banner was put up at Chicago and Jefferson Streets on August 1, 1973.  The committee struck a special Tricentennial Medallion in silver and bronze. An art fair on the grounds of the Will County Court House included art by Joliet Junior College students, Statesville inmates, the Joliet Art League and the Gallery of Arts.

On arrival, Louis Jolliet, recreated by Reid Lewis, addressed the crowd, and delighted all with stories of the river adventure—a 3,000 mile journey in search of a route to the Pacific.  The four-month voyage started in St. Ignace, Michigan on May 17 and ended on September 19 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, having traveled through or  along the shores of Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri Tennessee, Arkansas.

Illinois towns included Savanna,  Port Byron, Moline, Rock Island, Davenport, Nauvoo, Hamilton, Warsaw, Quincy, Alton, Cahokia, Ft. De Chartres and Prairie Du Rocher, Pierre Menard Home, Kaskaskia Island, Chester, Grand Tower, Thebes, Cairo, Grafton, Kampsville, Florence, Beardstown, Havana, Pekin, Peoria, Chillicothe, Hennepin, Utica, Ottawa, Morris, Joliet, Good Lake Prairie St. Park, Evanston, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Waukegan, Zion, and Illinois Beach Park.  

Union Members Support Striking Machinists outside Caterpillar Plant in Joliet

Several union members from throughout Chicagoland made the journey to Joliet this past weekend to stand with striking machinists at the Caterpillar plant in Joliet.  Caterpillar's latest offer expired at midnight June 10, 2012.

Members of the Painters and Allied Trades Union stood with striking machinists in front of the Caterpillar plant on Route 6 in Joliet

Union members from the Painters and Allied Trades International Union stood with striking machinist outside the Caterpillar hydraulic parts 

Machinists on strike outside the Caterpillar plant in Joliet

A union electrician from Chicago stood with the striking machinists outside the Caterpillar plant in Joliet

Caterpillar is now hiring temporary replacement workers for its Joliet plant.  Caterpillar is advertising for the temporary workers in newspapers and also on this digital billboard at the Des Plaines River bridge on I-80 in Joliet:

Presidential Candidate Visits Striking Caterpillar Workers in Joliet, Illinois

Socialist Equality Party presidential candidate Jerry White spoke with striking Caterpillar workers in Joliet after the workers voted down a recent Caterpillar offer: