SECA Obligations Approved
More than a dozen people turned out for last night’s Naperville City Council meeting to weigh in on whether the city should earmark Special Events and Cultural Amenities (SECA) Grant funding for certain groups, nonprofits and events listed as “city obligations” for 2022. The topic stirred debate, due in part to controversy over whether Naperville Century Walk has been granted what opponents describe as special treatment and is benefitting from a contractual arrangement that secures a three-year commitment instead of just one, like the majority of the other community organizations seeking funding. Opponents argued that Naperville Century Walk, which brings public art to the city, is not receiving adequate oversight. Some council members thought the city rushed into putting the SECA Grant funding to a vote. In the end City Council decided to approve the SECA Grant funding allocations for the city obligations noted in a 5-4 split vote. NCTV17 is included within that group.
DuPage River Resolution
Also last night, council voted in support of a resolution supporting public access to the DuPage River. The issue stems from riverfront homeowners lodging complaints to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources requesting a pause while concerns about people trespassing and leaving trash are investigated. That prompted an online petition advocating for public river access. The topic has been making the rounds at public meetings in and around the area, with officials for the Naperville and Plainfield park districts passing similar resolutions at their meetings last week.
Playground Ribbon Cutting
Kids can now take Brighton Ridge Park’s new playground for a spin. The Naperville Park District held a ribbon cutting for the revamped space yesterday afternoon. The site, developed through community input, has spots designed for those aged 2 to 5 and 5 to 12, and is accessible to kids of all abilities. The Brighton Ridge Homeowners Association plans to dedicate a plaque at the park to Allen Cieciel for his years of volunteer work with the community. The park district is in the process of renovating five playgrounds across Naperville, with the next ribbon cutting ceremony at Brush Hill Park on August 24.
Million Dollar Ticket
There’s a million dollar winner thanks to a purchase here in Naperville. The winning Powerball ticket was sold at the BP gas station at 1983 Brookdale Road. It was for the Saturday, July 24 draw. It’s a win for the gas station as well, as they’ll see a selling bonus of 1% of the prize money. The winner has not been publicly identified.
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