North Aurora Together

Thank you to everyone for submitting your great questions to us for the questionnaire we sent to the four candidates running for Village President of North Aurora. We have heard back from all of the candidates and Max Herwig, Mark Vogt and Dale Berman are the three candidates that answered our questions. Linda Mitchell did not answer our questions, but sent us an e-mail which is also listed below explaining why. None of the candidates' answers or e-mails have been altered.

E-Mail from Linda Mitchell:

"I did not answer your questionnaire for several reasons. I do not support your organization because it hinders development in North Aurora and works toward raising taxes for all North Aurorans in order to benefit a few.

While some of your questions are very pointed in this direction my of them are very good and I would suggest you have the people asking them attend the forum next week where all the candidates answers can be made in full with no editing."

1. How do you plan to develop the riverfront area that makes it a desirable destination for residents and something that will enhance our property values?

Max Herwig

It would be my plan to continue with the current North Aurora Riverfront Enhancement Project as the Riverfront committee has outlined. The project is on the Village of North Aurora's website. The River front committee has done a good job of putting together a phased approach to the project that spans 10 years, 2008 to 2018. The total cost in today's dollars is a little over 32 million dollars. The Riverfront Overlook is the first of several phases. The project, when completed, will be a desirable destination for the residents and should help increase the property values of the homes in North Aurora. The current state of the economy will have an impact on the ability to move forward with the overall Riverfront project implementation in the current time line.

Mark Vogt

This is a key topic for me. Revitalizing the Riverfront Area is one of the two major reason I am seeking to become Village President. I consider "The Riverfront Area" to include our island park (both islands, actually), both shorelines from the downstream to the upstream side of the park, 3 blocks south and 2 blocks north of the bridge , and 2 blocks east and west of the bridge. This area is supposed to be the municipal center, the cultural soul of our community. The very reason this village exists in the first place is because of the Fox River. While I applaud the recent gazebo projects on the east side of the river, I think the real key to bringing culture to the North Aurora's Riverfront Area starts with giving residents & non-residents places to socialize (dining & drinking establishments). If you look at Geneva & St. Charles - communities with healthy riverfront areas - you'll quickly see that such establishments outnumber other businesses nearly 4 to 1, and represent the real "draw" of people to these areas. It should be clearly stated that I'm not talking about shady or seedy places; rather I'm talking about developing up an environment where families can feel comfortable strolling around on sidewalks (yet another project), no small feat. We have no tradition "downtown" area with which to begin. Instead our downtown appears to have been formed simply as the intersection of the "outskirts" of the neighboring Aurora and Batavia. It will take work and money and time to change this. As many residents as possible will need to participate in order to arrive at a vision for this area, and a workable plan for how to get there. Besides encouraging dining & drinking establishments to set up shop in our downtown area, I also envision numerous smaller, more manageable (but decidedly less effective) projects; sidewalks on both side of Rt. 31, some kind of drive-in/drive-through/drive-around (including from the bike path) restaurant which somehow connects all the way to the river, an additional bike/foot bridge to the south island, and from there to the west bank, giving a ring for people to walk, powerlines moved off of Rt. 31 to behind businesses and improved/uniform (subsidized?)/FAIR signage along Rt. 31.

Dale Berman

The Riverfront Committee, which I currently chair, has the responsibility to further develop the riverfront in cooperation with the Fox Valley Park District, which owns all the shoreline in North Aurora. Our first project is to be bid next week and hopefully work will start this spring. This "overlook" is part of the plan developed with a grant from the Kane County Forest Preserve. Details of the riverfront overlook are available on the village website. www.vil.north-aurora.il.us The plan has many ideas for beautification and enhancement to the riverfront. The committee has the challenge to secure funding for future projects. This will require the cooperation of Public, Private and Non Profit sector of our community.

The committee is being restructured and may be 10 members. One each from Village Board, Planning Commission, Fox Valley Park District and 7 community members at large. It will be a not for profit corporation under the umbrella of the village board. This is truly a "no small plan" project and should be fun to be a part of.

2. What do you have planned for the North Aurora Activity Center building and/or property and how will they pay for it?

Max Herwig

I have been responsible for the leasing and rental of the Activity Center for at least the past 8 years. My plan for the North Aurora Activity Center is to keep it as long as it is economically feasible or until we are able to replace it with a facility that would be a community center and provide the types of activities currently used at the center. The building is fully leased except for several rooms, which are used for room rentals. The current tenants are a day care center, a church, a social worker, and the North Aurora Fire Department. The building is also used for Friday Night Sport for the 4th, 5th and middle school kids who live in North Aurora, Breakfast with Santa, Cub Scout and Girls Scout meetings, North Aurora Garden Club, the YMCA, and gym rentals for volleyball, basketball, baby showers, wedding showers, birthday parties, and we even rented it this year for a Christmas Eve party for a large family. The building rentals and leases currently are allowing us to operate the building in the black. If we have any major problems like a boiler failure then that would be an expense that could put us in the red. When the day comes that it is no longer economically feasible to keep the building open, I would propose that we do a Tax Increment Finance (TIF) district State Street north to Oak and from Rt 31 to Grant Street. We could use the TIF money to help develop that area as part of the Riverfront Enhancement project. If you would like more information the Tax Increment Finance go to www.illinois-tif.com/about_TIF.asp

Mark Vogt

Let it be known that I love the NAAC building, and see it as our only and finest cultural landmark besides the bridge itself. We should only be thinking "how" to build on this as a core, and never how to replace it with something new. To even consider replacing it with a newer building would be a huge mistake, and one we almost certainly would never recover from once we realized what we'd done. Here's a building that can meet many of the needs of our community, and do so with style - IF we are willing to re-invest in this building to address its weaknesses and enhance its strengths. But I think in the short-term energy should not be focused on developing the NAAC building. In the coming term I think we have two more pressing issues that will require all our attention and energy - revitalizing the entire Riverfront Area as a whole, and working on a high school.

Dale Berman

The Activity Center has provided a good recreation facility for the citizens of North Aurora. It was a "smart buy" when we purchased it. It has seen its better days but hopefully it will last, with no major repairs necessary, until an acceptable substitute is provided. The "Friday Night Spot" used by our local youth on Friday nights is fantastic. The land certainly could play a part in the future "River District" vision.

3. Will you pursue establishing a group of interested residents to work with the village staff and potential businesses to attract wanted business to our village?

Max Herwig

When elected I plan on forming a Resident Advisory Committee that will work with the Village Board on resident concerns and needs such as providing input to potential businesses, restaurants, and any other issues that would have an impact on residents. The committee would be made up of residents from both the east and west side of town as well as ages from 17 years on up. It is important to be sure that ALL residents are represented.

Mark Vogt

I plan to be establishing a group of as many residents as possible to participate in this endeavor. The Riverfront Area has at least 6 vacant buildings, and several vacant (for all intents & purposes) properties which cry out for businesses in order to build a thriving area. I will be quite aggressive about the make-up & attendance of these groups. While I'll welcome "interested" residents participating, these people should expect that among the tasks I'll be assigning them will be dragging even "uninterested" residents to the meetings we'll be having. I use the term "un-interested" half-heartedly, because I'm not convinced that there are any truly UN-interested; rather I perceive them more accurately to be disillusioned and busy -- NOT the same as "un"-interested. This group will then participate in analyzing our current community, assessing it in terms of strengths & weaknesses, identifying what businesses are missing from a "thriving" community, and then get busy trying to FIND businesses which might be interested in coming to our community. Contrary to popular belief, this sort of planning is not sole domain of people with graduate degrees in community planning. Even now there are very popular websites such as www.communityplanning.net which exist purely for the purpose of providing residents themselves with the tools & guidance they need to self-plan their communities. I will be a huge proponent of this type of approach for what I consider the 2 major projects we should be tackling in the coming term: revitalizing the river front area, and building our own high school. I will be leveraging my own expertise with various Internet collaboration technologies to make resident participation in these projects as easy as visiting and interacting with a website.

Dale Berman

Input from interested residents is necessary. What you may be suggesting is a Chamber of Commerce or Economic Development Committee. I will work to create such a group with interested residents and business owners. This would lead to determine what new businesses would compliment existing use.

4. I would like to know what you visualize to improve the look of our town along the Rt 25 and Rt 31 corridor?

Max Herwig

I visualize Rt 25 having better landscaping along both sides from Sullivan Road to Grant Street. In addition, keeping the trash picked up on a regular basis will help. Grant Street north to Rt 56 on the east side, work with the businesses to improve their building facades and on the west side enhanced landscaping. Route 31 from I-88 to Route 56/State Street is currently in the Tax Increment Finance district and the Village has been working with the businesses along that section on helping them improve their properties. The ComEd power lines need to be buried in order to improve the visual appearance and possible allow the State to widen the road in that section.

Mark Vogt

Rt 31: If you compare these locations to similar ones in the "thriving" communities, what you see conspicuous in the absence is trees, sidewalks, and relocated powerlines. Taken individually, these projects can actually be quite manageable, and would benefit both the residents and the affected communities.

Rt 25: This location is tough. Speaking candidly, I would have to consider it a low priority compared to topics I think ALL (not just some) of the residents should be concerned about. It should be known that I live over on the east side (Pine Creek subdivision), and the only real change I would be interested in is a much-needed traffic light at Butterfield Rd & Pine Creek Drive.

Dale Berman

I feel we have made improvements to Rt. 25 to the south. Specifically the landscaping on the east side along the stone quarry. We need to work with property owners to fix up , clean up and remove boarded up buildings. The Toll-way lighting of the bridge structure will be extended to the north side when complete. IDOT needs to resurface Rt. 25 and create better drainage. Much discussion has been given to improving Rt. 31 to the south. It is a narrow road with power polls close to traffic. The relocating of the power lines would greatly improve the area. Funding for this could come from the TIF district with future development. Relocating the power lines is expensive (several million dollars) and we will need other than tax dollars to complete.

5. Will you take steps to address the on-going traffic problems on Oak Street?

Max Herwig

Yes! Oak Street from Route 31 to Randall has been widened to 3 lanes and a 4 way stop installed at Sycamore and Oak. It has improved the overall traffic flow from Randall to Route 31. Once the State improves the intersection at Route 31 and Oak by widening it and putting a stop light in, that should help the east end of Oak and the terrible traffic problems we have there. I will work with the Board to address Oak Street west of Randall between Oak and Orchard, which needs to be widened to 3 lanes, and merged into the 4 lanes in front of Woodmans. If traffic warrants show that a 4 way stop at White Oak and Oak or Forest Ridge Drive is needed than they would be installed.

Mark Vogt

Long Term: Whether we want it to be or not, North Aurora's Oak Street is already starting to serve the same purpose as Batavia's Wilson Street, Geneva's Roosevelt Road, and St. Charles' North Avenue - each of these connects an established east/riverfront area to a fast-growing Randall Road area. There is simply no resisting that eventually steps will have to be taken to remove the traffic congestion created by the narrow, winding State Street Bridge Area. There will either be a major investment to widen that entire area (unattractive to me), or...we have to be thinking logically that there will be a brand-new, wider, picturesque bridge (Geneva's is an ideal example) connecting Butterfield Road & Rt 25 directly over to Oak Street. That is a LONG-term vision - almost certainly outside of this coming term.

Short Term: The current administration has already done what I consider to be an excellent job of widening Oak St to a "2+" lane thoroughfare. I think this was a prudent approach, and I commend the administration for taking steps to preserve - rather than simply cut down- the very large trees on the north side of the read. That may sound like a trivial act, but I think there are many residents who are of a like mind with me, and admire this decision. This leaves us only with improving traffic at the intersection of Rt 31 & Oak St., which is a tough nut to crack. The building on the NW corner (the "sharp" corner) is quite close to the existing roadside, so widening - while attractive - will come with costs. For now, the only reasonable short-term solution is the placement of a "smart" traffic light which would need to be well-synchronized with the light just 1 block south, in order to minimize the risk of backing up traffic across the bridge. These are the ideas which come to mind first, but in reality others would be involved determining a final solution.

Dale Berman

I am not familiar with what you refer to as traffic problems. The new left turn lanes and stop sign at Sycamore have slowed and improved traffic flow. It is a major rad and heavy use will continue. Any suggestion for improvement would be accepted.

6. How do you envision North Aurora 10 years from now?

Max Herwig

My wife and I have lived in North Aurora for the past forty years. In that time the Village has kept a small town feel while growing to where it is today. I envision North Aurora 10 years from now not to be much different if the growth is managed properly. There will be a few more homes, the North Aurora Towne Centre shopping center will be built out with restaurants and additional retail stores. The four corners of Oak and Orchard will be built out with retail stores and restaurants that complement the surroundings. The corner of Randall and Orchard Roads will be built out with a hotel, restaurants and single family homes. I envision commercial and residential developments along both sides of Orchard road north of Oak Street.

Mark Vogt

Please keep in mind 10 ears is a long time, but here is my vision:

North Aurora has a steady-state population of 20,000-25,000 who all think they live in a "village" setting;
These residents are now used to participating actively in ongoing community development that they think it's always been like that;
There are few if any remaining parcels of land, and no large ones; Most of the currently open parcels have been used for single-family dwellings (in keeping with the village's own long-term vision);
We have our own high school, quite likely located on Oak St. just east of Woodmans (this parcel is precisely the size needed for a high school matching Aurora's West High);
At least some of the land under/near the powerlines all across North Aurora (east and west sides) have been transformed into a lovely slender park with (safe) sidewalks and bile trails (a sort of "nature route") which enable people on the west side to safely make their way all the way to the river and back. This route runs alongside the golf course, in between the warehouses to the south and the residences to the north, past Oberweis Dairy (now required stop), through the picturesque commons area, skirts the new high school, and over Orchard Road.
There is a bicycle bridge which connects the east & west sides at this point (see Batavia's bridges for practical/pretty examples);
There is another smaller bicycle bridge which connects our larger island to our smaller island in such a way that people can stroll in a circular (not simply "there and back" pattern around the bridges, making it all the nicer to head to the Riverfront Area;
There are now additional shops & eating establishments to stop by and browse whilst strolling (or taking a break from fishing);
A remodeled (can't force this though) Harners continues to be an institution in The Riverfront Area, serving as a hub around which many other complementary businesses now thrive;
The Riverfront Area has been transformed into a lovely more traditional scenic downtown, with people strolling around meeting, eating, drinking, shopping, playing and fishing;
There are likely a few attractive townhouses right in The Riverfront Area. The new 3 story townhome/boutiques going up along Third St. in Geneva is my ideal model - a very nice balance of residence and commercial property all in one location, and with emphasis on creating a village atmosphere - not a strip mall on the river;
There are now regular cultural events in The Riverfront Area to which residents are drawn;
North Aurora residents now go to our OWN riverfront on warm summer Friday nights...because they CAN;
There is sufficient parking in & around this area that the idea of parking a block or two away from the river is not unattractive at all;
The Police Department is now located along Rt 31, a modest establishment, well-sized for the now-static population about 20,000;
The Village Hall remains on the island, but now serves many other functions, including a museum, and public meeting rooms;
The businesses at/alongside the river have taken on a more cultural/art-focused flare, following the lead of the dance studio and collectables studios currently there;
The Randall Road Commerce Area has been completely built-out into a retail commercial "commons environment" on both sides of Randall Road, accessible even by the bike path;
There is a fledgling "light" business in that same area (e.g. one or more short professional buildings at most, but a start);
Connecting Randall Road to I-88 (all 4 sides) is in its final stages of being complete (no one should be surprised by this);
There's a picturesque new bridge connecting Butterfield Road to Oak St, much like Roosevelt Road Bridge in Geneva (my idea of a role model);
Oak St. is almost certainly wider, 4 lanes or 3+ lanes, but no more. The traffic flow at the Oak/Rt 25 intersection is (expectedly) high, but well-managed, not unlike downtown Geneva;
There is no mega-mall of any kind to be found, because villages don't need one, and there are plenty of them in nearby communities;
People in surrounding communities like to come here for socializing (eating & drinking), because we're such a friendly, happy village;
I'm now 57 years old, still in my prime, and can always be found fly fishing in the river, and thinking of the next community project.

Dale Berman

North Aurora has certainly changed dramatically since we moved here in 1962 and built our first house at 502 West State St. The last house built on State St. that year. Everyone wanted North Aurora to retain that "small town charm", which it has to some extent. It is still a great place to live and raise a family. Our four daughters and seven grandchildren can attest to that. Hopefully we will have a successful "River District" which will attract visitors and be a pride for residents. Our growth will probably be complete and our planning will move from "new" to "change". We need to aggressively work with the Fox Valley Park District and West Aurora School District 129 to insure we have the recreation and education facilities and programs we require. All in all a great place to live.

7. How would you balance the need for business development with the quality of life of your residents?

Max Herwig

When elected, I will form a Resident Advisory committee and use them for input. It's important that the residents understand that the elected trustees have the final say on what commercial developments will be in North Aurora. That's why the input from the Resident Advisory Committee is so important.

Mark Vogt

If the community-based planning approach I've described elsewhere in the questionnaire is followed, the businesses that are developed in the coming term will happen with thorough knowledge and consent of the residents themselves. These businesses will be the result of the residents themselves preparing a workable plan for their community, and actually being a necessary part of making it a reality. This may sound like I am unrealistic about the level of involvement I can expect from the residents. However, all I have to do is re-visit the detailed writings of nearly 400 residents who petitioned against the Wal-Mart experiment back in 2007, and I am re-convinced there are in fact a LOT of residents who can and will commit to actively planning their community.

Dale Berman

We need to continue our balanced growth. I feel we have done a good job of planning with our Comprehensive Plan. Quality of life means different things to different people. We need to be considerate of all and work for win/win results.

8. What is your top priority for North Aurora if elected President?

Max Herwig

I have two priorities: One to form the Resident Advisory Committee that I have been talking about and the second priority is to work in conjunction with the Village staff and Board to improve the day-to-day operations of the Village by implementing cost-cutting initiatives, while maintaining the best possible infrastructure, including our roads, police and water services.

Mark Vogt

I will have 2 priorities which will run concurrently (because there's no other option): Revitalizing The Riverfront Area; Begin initial planning for our own high school.

Dale Berman

Currently our top priority is the economy and how it affects all within the community. We need to work with Financial Institutions to pump money into our community. Empty houses, empty or partially constructed buildings are not good for our future. We as citizens need to shop and spend locally to benefit our community. We need to seek out more potentially successful businesses to compliment what we now have. I will personally and professionally work to accomplish this.

9. There seems to be a lack of communication within our village government/administration and between the village government and residents. This was apparent when Wal-Mart was proposed for the corner of Oak and Orchard. What will you do to make this better?

Max Herwig

I agree with your observation and that is why I feel it is important to have a Resident Advisory Committee that will provide valuable input into the decision making process. When elected that will be one of my first priorities. Please visit my website at www.MaxHerwig.com for more insights to my platform and action when elected.

Mark Vogt

The residents are going to have to get used to a different kind of president - one who is in fact a prolific communicator. We live in a day & age where texting is the norm, not the exception. Already our school district has embraced new technologies, such that hardly a week goes by but the phones of all District 129 parents hear the familiar voice of various principals and teachers. I'm one of those people whose career IS this technology, so I see it as a very natural practice to be getting as many residents as possible to get "linked-in", sharing information rather than living in a frustrating vacuum. I expect the result of this effort to be the residents enjoying a new sense of connectedness with their city officials, which will be a key characteristic of my administration.

Dale Berman

We need a team approach. Everyone needs to work together and share information. Every team needs a captain. I will be that leader and and will spend the time and effort necessary to communicate with board members and staff. Information on potential developers and opportunities will be communicated to all board members so sound decisions can be made. Our website is the best place to provide information to the citizens. We will continue to update it frequently, you can look to it for more information.

10. Given North Aurora's growth spurts, how will you ensure that there is harmony between the taxpaying residents and commercial development, and that resident concerns are given equal weight with business interests?

Max Herwig

I will use the Resident Advisory Committee as an input to the decision making process. It is important to remember that not all residents will ever agree to any one decision but it is important that the residents are heard. As my campaign theme states, "Any elected official should put the thoughts of the residents first".

Mark Vogt

A powerful strategy for promoting harmony is to involve the residents themselves in the community planning process, and communicating this process effectively to the residents using all the popular methods available these days - websites, blogs, forums, automated phone calls (like the school district leverages), and even text messaging. I see no reason in this day & age why anyone should voice the complaints "I don't know what's going on in my community" and "I don't have time to participate". The Internet technologies I've been specializing in as a career readily empower people geographically dispersed all over the world to monitor projects and effectively participate in them. These portal/collaboration technology provide every type of functionality teams need to work together, including polls and surveys. I plan on leveraging these very same technologies to keep the residents of North Aurora both engaged on all relevant projects, including commercial development.

Dale Berman

Your Village Board is elected by you to represent you. The concerns of residents should be presented to the Board members. Each member is available by phone or e-mail and will meet with you as requested. Information from all sources - residents - education - workshops - peer discussions - developers - consultants - etc. is necessary for sound decision making. The review process on development begins with our comprehensive plan, zoning ordinances, professional staff, consultants, planning commission review, and village board - study - discussion - vote. Your concerns are valuable and need to be expressed.

11. If you were not a Board member during the Special Use vote on the Wal-Mart in 2007, how would you have voted?

Max Herwig

If I was a resident and lived near that corner and had the same information that I had as a Trustee, I would have voted exactly the same way - NO!

Mark Vogt

I would have voted a resounding "NO" to Wal-Mart (or any other big-box store, for that matter), and would have gone out of my way to convince as many people as possible to say "no" as well. I am and will continue to be one of the toughest-to-convince people anyone will ever meet regarding our community "needing" a mega-store like a Wal-Mart. If there are any pro-mega-store people out there looking for a reason to NOT vote for me, then you need look no further. North Aurora is a "village". Even if all the remaining properties within our municipal boundaries were filled with single family residences (which is my hope & vision), we will likely still be a village. I believe the residents of North Aurora WANT a "village", and all that this implies. A village conjures up a vision of lots of small mom & pop businesses, all oozing culture and ambiance. A mega-store is precisely the antithesis of a village. If a mega-store were to show up (say in the new fledgling Randall Road Commerce Area), I can't see how JC Penney, Target, Woodmans, Michaels, or even several of the smaller boutique stores could possibly survive. Go look at the periphery around the Wal-Mart on Galena or the new one on Farnsworth, and you'll see my point clearly. Competition is one thing; bringing in a "commercial death star" is a different thing entirely.

Dale Berman

I voted no.

12. If several taxpaying residents of North Aurora took the time to form a group because they were concerned about something and came to you with a problem that affects a neighborhood of long standing residents in a bad way, what would you do to help that group if anything?

Max Herwig

I would first be sure that I understood their concerns correctly. Then, if the problem were one that could be corrected or addressed by the Village, I would take it to the Village staff and or Board and work the solution out between the residents and the staff. If it was a problem that the Village could not help directly in resolving I would try and find out what organization could help the residents, such as the County Health Department or maybe our State Representative, and work with them to help resolve the problem.

Mark Vogt

This sounds like an existing or past even couched as a what-if...but my answer will be the same in any event: I'd listen. Intently. Depending on the size of this group, I'd schedule time in either the village hall, the public library or (if less formal) Harners for everyone to meet. I would explain that in order resolve any issue, there are some basic steps which can be followed to clearly & completely describe a problem or concern, fully expore possible options, methodically reduce these options to one or two, decide on a final resolution, and begin planning how best to implement that resolution. Issue resolution is not rocket science; it can be done effectively and repeatedly provide all parties involved come together as reasonable people aligned toward the goal of resolving a common concern.

Dale Berman

I certainly would listen to the group and try to understand their concerns. I would work with them to develop a strategy to find a win/win solution. There are very few black/white concerns, there is quite a bit of gray in most everything. That is why I look for the win/win decisions.

Mark Vogt (additional question/answer)

There's a critical question which did NOT get asked - "What about a high school for North Aurora"?

Statistics available on the Internet show North Aurora grew by over 40% in the past 7 years. I am concerned that we're going to continue growing at the pace until the remaining parcels are gone...and only then we're going to look around and wonder where to put a high school. Now is the time to start that planning process, and it's going to take the involvement of the residents themselves to make that a reality. A high school for North Aurora is a natural, reasonable thing. Our community should reach a maximum population of at least 20,000 - 25,000. From there it's a fair estimate to say we'll have 10,000 children evenly distributed age-wise. This means in the next 5 years we'll have 3,000 students looking for a high school...not finding one. Yet. Research online shows it takes about 41 months to build a high school. Information available online also shows that while the typical cost of a high school runs somewhere from $60 million to $100 million for a 50 acre facility (n.b. West Aurora High School is approximately 48 acres nicely supporting 3,300 students). Google Maps shows there are really only about 2 or 3 parcels of land left in North Aurora which are of sufficient size and makeup to readily be considered for a high school. In fact, the farmland just east of Woodmans (provided it could be purchased) to me represents a location quite well-suited to the role of high school. The other candidate locations - while adequate - are less attractive. But this all said, what's going to happen if we let these locations fill up over the next few years? Are we ready to become the only community on the Fox River who have to bus their children to a high school in a DIFFERENT community - all because THAT community managed to plan for a high school, while we chose to NOT plan? I think not. Neither time nor economics are ever kind to such endeavors. They are started and accomplished out of necessity, not out of convenience. Somehow the planners of the well-liked Herget Middle School (40 acres, 800 student capacity) managed to complete that project for about $24 million. Given the depressed real estate market (which regarding land purchase works in our favor) and the much - promoted government stimulus envisioned for public projects, I see endeavoring to plan and build a high school in the near future as an obligation to our children - not an option.

North Aurora Together

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Congratulations Dale Berman - New Village President

Monday, April 6, 2009

Election Day - Tuesday, April 7 - VOTE!

Friday, March 27, 2009

A Few Articles from Local Papers

Friday, March 13, 2009

Village President Candidate Questionnaire Answers

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Meet The Candidates on March 12

Monday, February 23, 2009

4 Candidates in the Running for North Aurora Village President

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Local Election News

About Us

Join Our Group or Contact Us

Schedule of Events

Useful Links

Newspapers

Make A Contribution

Blog Archive

North Aurora Together

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Congratulations Dale Berman - New Village President

Monday, April 6, 2009

Election Day - Tuesday, April 7 - VOTE!

Friday, March 27, 2009

A Few Articles from Local Papers

Friday, March 13, 2009

Village President Candidate Questionnaire Answers

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Meet The Candidates on March 12

Monday, February 23, 2009

4 Candidates in the Running for North Aurora Village President

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Local Election News

About Us

Join Our Group or Contact Us

Schedule of Events

Useful Links

Newspapers

Subscribe To NAT

Make A Contribution

Blog Archive