Gartner Road Slow Down Strategies
Some driver slow-down tactics may be coming to Gartner Road between Washington Street and Charles Avenue in Naperville. The Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) will be considering several recommendations at its meeting this Thursday made by the Transportation, Engineering and Development (TED) Department. Those include yellow banding several of the 25 mph speed limit signs, installing a “25 MPH” pavement marking, putting in marked parking boxes between Julian Street and Charles Avenue, and installing a marked choker between Edgewater Drive and Driftwood Court. The proposed changes are coming about after residents expressed concerns about speeding in that area at the September TAB meeting, and requested an all-way stop sign at the intersection of Gartner and Julian. City staff determined that intersection did not meet the required thresholds for putting in an all-way stop at that location, but recommended the other changes after finding speeds exceeded the city’s threshold range in two areas of that section of Gartner Road. If approved, the changes would be rolled out over the coming year.
Councilman Benny White Running For Mayor
Naperville city councilman Benny White has announced that he will be running for Naperville mayor. White is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, having served 22 years before retiring from active duty in 2008. Before being elected to city council in 2017, he served as a board member on the Indian Prairie School District 204 Board of Education for five years. In the press release announcing his run, he noted the need to protect Naperville’s long-term progress, put people and principles over politics, and ensure all voices are heard. White is the council liaison to NCTV17. Currently the only other candidate to publicly announce a run for mayor is longtime Naperville Liquor Commissioner and business executive Scott Wehrli. Current mayor Steve Chirico will not be seeking another term. The Consolidated Municipal Election will be held April 4, 2023.
District 203 May Phase Out Latin
Latin may be phased out in Naperville School District 203 in the 2023-2024 school year. At Monday night’s board meeting, administrators presented the board with several new course additions, and in turn, suggested Latin could be subtracted from the curriculum. If the proposal is approved, students currently enrolled in the program would be able to complete the entire sequence, meaning only the first year of the language would be omitted from next year’s high school course offerings. Additional levels would be dropped as the current classes work through the program. Administrators said steadily declining enrollment is the reason behind the recommendation. The board heard from nearly a dozen parents, students and other community members who made a plea to keep the program. District 203’s offering of Latin is an anomaly, as many other school systems in Illinois have phased it out in recent decades. If the program is dropped, District 203 would continue to offer American Sign Language, French, German, Mandarin and Spanish.
Nikki Haley Visits Anderson’s Bookshop
On Monday night, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and South Carolina governor Nikki Haley hosted a book signing event at Anderson’s Bookshop in downtown Naperville. Her book, “If You Want Something Done: Leadership Lessons from Bold Women,” officially released to the public on Tuesday. It celebrates 10 different trailblazing women throughout history who fought through obstacles to find success.
