Latest news with #Oswego
Chicago Tribune
8 hours ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Oswego trustees look at criteria for downtown grant program
Oswego trustees as a committee of the whole recently discussed the eligibility criteria for the Economic Development Incentive Award grant program in the village. The program has undergone revisions from involving facade improvement grants to include various other upgrades over the years. The grant program was last updated in 2018 to permit additional types of improvements. So far this year, $100,000 in grants have been awarded. 'The overall intent is to enhance downtown real estate,' Oswego Economic Development Director Kevin Leighty said in a report to trustees. The program essentially awards grants to businesses as an incentive for exterior improvements to enhance the village's downtown but also permits some interior renovation projects. Eligible applicants can qualify for up to a $40,000 match-based award for a new or existing business within Oswego's downtown TIF district, village officials said. Based on the eligibility and program criteria, applicants must 'contribute to and enhance Oswego's dynamic downtown' by identifying 'real property improvements that are permanently affixed to the property,' Leighty said. There's a list of downtown preferred uses, such as eating and drinking establishments, specialty food establishments, general retail and commercial services, he said. There's another list of preferred projects that include exterior improvements to buildings that would enhance Oswego's downtown appearance as well as basic functional improvements. The Village Board earlier this year began to discuss the eligibility and criteria for the program before authorizing a second round of grants. Functional-related building improvement grants were awarded but the village began to receive requests for maintenance-related projects such as improving parking lots and painting a building, village officials said. 'There was some misunderstanding from applicants as to why those types of improvements were not allowed,' Leighty said. Staff initially presented the current eligibility criteria to the village's Economic Development Commission to provide some feedback to the Village Board as to whether parking lots and painting projects should be included for funding through the grant program. The commission 'understood the most important part of the program is to enhance the quality of real estate, but some consideration should be given to general beautification including some maintenance items,' Leighty told trustees. While the group did advocate for parking lot and painting projects to be included in the grant program, commissioners suggested the village consider placing a cap on that component, he said. The commission further suggested the village provide a list of examples for eligible and ineligible expenses to ensure that prospective applicants in the future have an understanding of how much funding they may qualify for. Commission members were not advocates for roof replacements which currently is a permissible expense under the program, Leighty said. Staff was looking for direction as to whether the Village Board would be supportive of having a list of partially eligible projects – mainly landscaping, masonry work, exterior painting, parking lot improvements and window/door repair or replacements. Staff has suggested a $5,000 cap on partially eligible projects. Trustees said they thought masonry, exterior painting and window/door repair or replacements should be moved under the eligible list of projects, while roof repairs would be listed under a partially eligible list. 'Those things were allowed under the original facade grant program. It makes sense to put those back in there,' Oswego Village Administrator Dan Di Santo said. 'When this first started, it was more about old Main Street and how the village could help keep the older buildings looking good and last for a long time,' Di Santo said. As for need, the village does require a detailed project budget and quotes from contractors plus a detailed project timeline, Leighty said. 'We don't allow them to start the work until they have received grant approval. There is some component of need,' Leighty said. Businesses also have to submit paid invoices before the village remits payment, he said. Trustee Karin McCarthy-Lange noted there weren't a whole lot of applications when the program focused on building facade improvements. 'Even when we opened the program beyond building facades in 2018, we still had years where no one applied,' Di Santo said. Di Santo praised staff for 'selling the program to prospective business owners and existing business owners.' 'It's a more recent thing that people are applying,' Di Santo said.
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Death of Jim Teckenbrock leaves a big hole in Fox Valley sports scene
It may have started as a part-time job, but broadcasting high school sports helped Jim Teckenbrock have a big-time impact on the Fox Valley. Many of us were saddened to learn the WSPY 107.1-FM Sports Director had died on Wednesday, June 25, of pneumonia, following recent battles with several health issues. Teckenbrock, 76, will definitely be missed, leaving a legacy of local sports coverage that's seldom matched these days. 'I've never seen anybody more dedicated than him or who cares more about Fox Valley sports,' retired Plano athletic director Jim Schmidt said. I couldn't agree more. Sharing space in a press box or at a game's press table many times over the past 25 years helped me get to know 'Teck,' as he's known by so many of us. They included his final three broadcasts the second week of June, covering the Oswego girls softball team's run to a state championship in Peoria. 'He always said he's got the best job in the world doing the games on radio, which was good since he also had a face for radio,' Schmidt added with a chuckle. Teckenbrock's focus may have been the three communities – Sandwich, Plano and Yorkville – represented by three of the station's call letters, but his reach extended well beyond their Route 34 corridor to include Oswego, Aurora, the Tri-Cities and surrounding small communities that comprise the bulk of the Little Ten Conference. When Schmidt expanded the field of his school's Plano Christmas Classic boys basketball tournament from 16 teams to 24 teams in 2012, I dubbed Teckenbrock an 'ironman.' He traditionally broadcasts every game in the tourney that involves a team from his station's coverage area. That year, he did 32 games in five days and kept it up until a few years later, when the field was pared back to 16, which still makes for a busy week. 'He looked at me that year and said, 'Jim, what are we doing?'' Schmidt said. 'But you know what, I believe he wouldn't have wanted it any other way.' The Classic has long been looked after by Schmidt, Teckenbrock and local businessman Greg Gould, who oversees the Reapers' website, stats and many other tasks. 'Greg and Teck always would work hand in hand,' said Schmidt, who made sure the broadcaster was taken care of with plenty of hot tea, honey, lemon juice or whatever his vocal chords needed. 'That tournament will never be the same.' A 1966 Plano High School grad who served in the Navy, graduated from Waubonsee Community College and Northern Illinois University and coached at Waubonsee, Teckenbrock got a taste of broadcasting initially working with Aurora legend Neal Ormond briefly in the 1980s. Teckenbrock was always active in his community and worked for the Sandwich Chamber of Commerce and directed the Sandwich Economic Development Corporation. He went from part-time at WSPY in 1996 to full-time four years later. '(His passing) is terrible news,' Yorkville Athletic Director Luke Engelhardt said. 'The legacy he leaves is impressive.' Engelhardt, a Yorkville High School alum, played basketball for the Foxes and was a sophomore on the 2002 team that reached the supersectional at NIU. Teck would bring up details of that or other games, years later. 'You always wanted to be in the game he was covering,' Engelhardt said. 'He could remember an awful lot. And it wasn't just with me, he could do that with hundreds of other people, he was so invested.. 'Two years ago when our girls softball team went to state and had a 13-inning semifinal game in that hot weather, rallying from two runs down in the 13th to win I remember looking over at him and seeing tears in his eyes he was so happy to see them win,' he said. Engelhardt said Yorkville High School even has a sign in a section of the football press box that says 'Teck's Box' placed there by his predecessor. 'I haven't touched it,' Engelhardt said. 'He will always have a spot there.' Brad Kunz, current Minooka assistant football coach who led Plano for six seasons, said 'it felt important' when Teckenbrock was on the call for his team's games. 'He had one of those voices, it was a radio voice,' Kunz said. 'He really fit the mold. But the biggest thing for me was how deep he'd dive into the stories behind the athletes, getting to know their backstories. 'That and just his knowledge of the community,' he said. 'I'd bounce ideas off him. I felt like he had the pulse of the community.' Visitation for Teckebrock will be Sunday, June 29, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, 2465 W. Sandwich Road, Sandwich. It will continue from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday, June 30, at the church, followed by the funeral.
Chicago Tribune
21-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Oswego may relocate dog park
Oswego trustees as a committee of the whole Tuesday evening will discuss the feasibility of relocating the dog park in the village due to declining use and revenue. Trustees in 2021 expressed support for the creation of a dog park in the village as a way for families to have a 'spot for recreation' with their pets. Concept plans were prepared for construction of a dog park at the northeast corner of Plank Drive and Theodore Drive on 1.5 acres near the Public Works facility on the village's southeast side. It cost the village $110,000 to build the Happy Tails Dog Park, which included fencing, a fountain, shade sail and sidewalks, village officials said. The dog park opened in 2023 and was initially well-received, officials said. However, an analysis shows there is declining use of the facility, according to officials. 'Since that time, participation has gradually declined,' Oswego Management Analyst Alejandro Hardaway said in a report to trustees. The village eliminated the annual dog park fee at the start of the current fiscal year due to its anticipated closure because of the eventual expansion of the village's nearby Public Works facility, he said. 'There are currently 133 active card holders, a decline in the peak total number of unique users since the dog park's inception of 451,' he said. Revenues from the park dropped from $11,238 in 2023 to $7,194 in 2024, officials said. Operational expenses are minimal, totaling about $3,200 per year in Public Works staff time and materials, according to officials. Additional facility maintenance costs are between $500 to $700 annually. The 2025 Oswego Community Survey shows only 5% of respondents report visiting the dog park, with 95% of respondents saying they do not use the site, Hardaway said in a report to trustees. 'These findings reflect that while the dog park is recognized by a majority of the community, actual utilization remains low,' Hardaway said. Village staff has suggested relocating the dog park if trustees are interested in keeping it open. Possible sites include an area near Venue 1012, a 2-acre park east of the Oswego Police Department and a 4-acre area at the Hunt Club water tower property. The Oswegoland Park District was approached about taking ownership of the village's roughly $18,225 in equipment to open its own dog park, but the offer was declined, village officials said.
Chicago Tribune
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
‘Better and better': Oswego's Jaelynn Anthony is the 2025 Beacon-News/Courier-News Softball Player of the Year.
Junior pitcher Jaelynn Anthony has come a long way and so has Oswego in softball, with players getting measured this week for state championship rings. It's no coincidence. The first time coach Paul Netzel saw Anthony three years ago at tryouts, he thought he had found a pretty good varsity candidate in the freshman right-hander. What he didn't see right away, however, was the complete player the outgoing youngster with the strong arm and ever-present smile would become. 'We were split on whether to bring her up,' Netzel said of his coaching staff. 'We knew we needed another pitcher we could use in the rotation to back up (sophomore) Aubriella Garza.' Netzel, a retired teacher who had coached a number of sports at various levels in high schools and colleges since 1967, felt confident Anthony could handle that role and made the call. Anthony also played in the infield. 'Then, all of a sudden, she started hitting,' Netzel said. 'I remember a home run at Geneva, a real blast, and all the kids were doing that 'she's a freshman' chant in the dugout. 'We were amazed as anyone about her hitting.' Indeed, her .483 batting average this season pushed her career mark to .409. Still, the Panthers primarily relied on stellar work in the circle by the Purdue-bound Anthony — the 2025 Beacon-News/Courier-News Softball Player of the Year — to win the Class 4A state title. Anthony set the program record for wins in a season, going 22-1 with a 1.55 ERA and 193 strikeouts in 139 2/3 innings as Oswego (38-2) won its first state title after taking third last spring. Unfinished business has been completed, led by Anthony in the team's 7-0 run to the title. 'She just keeps getting better and better,' said Annie Scaramuzzi, an Oswego alum who came aboard last season as pitching coach and then became the program's co-coach with Netzel. 'Jaelynn plays better in big games.' None were bigger than Oswego's seven postseason games. Anthony pitched all 48 innings and gave up just 23 hits and 16 walks for an excellent .812 WHIP, which is walks and hits per inning. She struck out 70 and allowed just five runs for a 0.70 ERA. She relied on a fastball that one radar gun had her topping out at a personal-best 72 mph in the state championship game against Barrington, along with a change-up, curve and rise. 'Last year she was dominant — this year even more so,' Scaramuzzi said 'This year, she really gained confidence after having done it last year. She wanted to go out and have fun.' Anthony, who also holds the program's career record for wins with 47, was especially impressive in three wins during the final week. It started Monday when she carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning of a 5-1 win over Marist, finishing with a one-hitter. She followed with a 13-2 rout in six innings over Oak Park-River Forest in Friday's semifinal and a four-hitter in a 4-1 win over Barrington in Saturday's final, both complete games. Anthony, who had two doubles and three RBIs in the semifinals, knows it's not just her, though. 'Jaelynn's quick to acknowledge she has a great offense backing her up along with a standout defense doing the same,' Scaramuzzi said. 'That stage in Peoria, there's a lot of pressure. 'It's why we emphasized so much work on our middle infield defense this season.' Anthony has taken pitching lessons from St. Charles-based Jill Waldron since she was 12. 'She's always positive and has a strong work ethic,' Waldron said. 'She's never not focused but always giddy. She laughs at her mistakes but instantly flips a switch and goes to work to fix them.' And here's a scary proposition for opponents. Anthony believes there's room for improvement. 'I've been trying to learn a drop ball and a drop curve,' she said. Even though Oswego has to replace six seniors from 10 starters, including the designated player, Anthony likes the Panthers' chances again. 'We will be back,' she said. 'It will definitely be tough, but we're gonna come back and win.'
Chicago Tribune
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Introducing the 2025 Beacon-News/Courier-News Girls Soccer All-Area Team
Three players each from St. Charles East and South Elgin highlight the first and second teams. Olivia Del Toro, West Aurora, senior, midfielder: Tallied five goals and added four assists. Conference's co-MVP, all-sectional and repeat all-area. Committed to James Madison. Erin Doucette, Kaneland, junior, midfielder: Totaled area-high 95 points on 40 goals and 15 assists. All-conference and all-state. Nevaeh Gyurko, South Elgin, junior, forward: Beacon-News/Courier-News Player of the Year scored 23 goals and added eight assists. Conference's co-MVP, all-sectional and repeat all-area. Avianna Hernandez, South Elgin, junior, midfielder: Scored 11 goals and distributed 22 assists. All-conference, all-state and repeat all-area. Olivia Hernandez, Metea Valley, senior, midfielder: Came through with 13 goals and 11 assists. All-conference and all-state. Committed to Marquette. Hannah Hickman, Batavia, senior, defender: Disruptive stopper tallied a goal and assist and led back line that posted seven shutouts. All-conference and all-state. Committed to Eastern Illinois. Peyton Johnson, Oswego, junior, defender: Disruptive two-way talent keyed back line that registered 15 shutouts. Added four goals and six assists. All-conference, all-sectional and repeat all-area. Committed to Lindenwood. Sidney Lazenby, St. Charles East, senior, goalkeeper: Recorded 12 1/2 shutouts in 1,660 minutes with 0.87 goals-against average. All-conference, all-state and repeat all-area. Committed to Illinois-Chicago. Mya Leon, St. Charles East, freshman, forward: Finished with 34 goals and 12 assists for sectional qualifier. All-conference and all-state. Rylie Mensik, Dundee-Crown, junior, forward: Scored 28 goals while dishing out four assists. All-conference and all-state. Jordyn Washington, Oswego, junior, forward: Ended up with 28 goals and six assists. Conference's MVP, all-state and repeat all-area. Committed to Alabama A&M. Katie Chapman, Waubonsie Valley, senior, midfielder: Scored nine goals and added eight assists. Academic all-state, all-conference and all-sectional. Zoe Gannon, Kaneland, senior, defender: Athletic stopper for back line that posted 16 shutouts. Added two goals and two assists. All-conference and all-sectional. Committed to Waubonsee. Keira Kelly, St. Charles North, senior, midfielder: Tallied a goal and an assist for sectional finalist. All-conference and all-state. According to her coach, contributions went beyond statistics. Alison Kowall, Burlington Central, junior, defender/goalkeeper: Versatile talent was top player for defense that posted seven shutouts. Made 16 saves and recorded a shutout as goalkeeper. Also tallied a goal and three assists. All-conference and all-sectional. Megan Kron, Bartlett, senior, goalkeeper: Recorded nine shutouts. Allowed just 14 goals in 1,400 minutes for 0.80 goals-against average. Also scored a goal. Totaled 36 career shutouts. Conference's goalkeeper of the year, all-sectional and repeat all-area. Daniela Martinez, Harvest Christian, senior, midfielder: Scored 23 goals and added 14 assists as Lions finished with a 15-1 record. All-conference. Committed to Aurora University. Kaitlyn Nudera, St. Charles North, junior, forward: Scored eight goals and dished out five assists for sectional finalist. Scored deciding goal in sectional semifinal win over archrival St. Charles East. Lily Senese, Metea Valley, senior, forward: Finished with eight goals and seven assists. All-conference and repeat all-area. Committed to Northern Michigan. Mia Traver, South Elgin, senior, defender: Superb two-way talent keyed back line that posted 12 shutouts. Added five goals and three assists. Conference's defender of the year and all-sectional. Gabby Wojtarowicz, Jacobs, senior, forward: Ended up with 16 goals and eight assists. Closed career with program-record 74 goals. All-conference, repeat all-state and repeat all-area. Committed to Loyola. Sophia Wollenberg, St. Charles East, sophomore, midfielder: Scored 22 goals and distributed team-best 16 assists for sectional qualifier. All-conference and all-sectional.
