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Chicago Tribune
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Aurora exhibit celebrates the joy of Mexican toys
The Santori Public Library in downtown Aurora is offering visitors a chance to relive their childhood as well as celebrate Mexican art and culture with the 'Behind Every Toy, There is a Story' exhibit in the library's atrium through May 30. The exhibit consists of a paper mache tree showcasing Mexican toys, culled painstakingly by Chicago resident Maria Valenzuela, 54, who, according to a press release from the library, 'traveled all over Mexico in search of these toys, going to different markets and asking family to keep an eye out for rare or vintage toys.' To date, she has collected more than 140, an effort that she said 'began during COVID up through now.' 'I travel and go to the little towns there in Mexico and make connections with other artisans and I'm just going back and looking,' Valenzuela said. 'All of these are handmade. I myself come from an artistic family. My grandma worked with different materials, my father, my mother.' The toys themselves boast a wide range of materials including cardboard, plastic and aluminum as well as clay, fabric and wood. Valenzuela said it took her eight months to make the paper mache tree which measures seven feet high and four feet wide. A total of 90 toys were used in decorating it. Library Events and Program Coordinator Ali Lanthrum said that Valenzuela, who is also a child care worker, brought the exhibit to the library thanks to the efforts of another staff member, Kathy Mendoza. 'Kathy designs much of our Spanish language programming and they connected in a variety of ways including an annual Dia de los Muertos altar exhibit,' Lanthrum said. 'This artist created an altar and then reached out to us regarding this additional piece she had created celebrating Mexican history and specifically Mexican toys and asked if she could bring it in.' Mendoza said that 'of all our exhibits, this has been one of our more unique pieces because of the collection of vintage and modern pieces. I've never seen toys displayed in such a unique and fun way.' Mendoza said that during a Spanish book discussion session at the library, a student talked about one of the dolls featured on the tree. 'She talked about how these dolls were so nostalgic and how people couldn't afford a real doll and she mentioned how she had it and I mentioned we happened to have one of these dolls on display,' Mendoza said. 'She said it sounded fantastic and she had to go and check it out. There's been a sense of connection.' Lanthrum said getting the tree was also a celebration of a Mexican children's holiday known as Dia de los Ninos celebrated on April 30 and that 'this was the perfect way to celebrate children and Mexican heritage in a joyful, creative way.' She said the reaction to the exhibit, which which went up April 26, has been noticeable. 'I've seen people stop dead in their tracks looking at this exhibit. It's colorful, it's vibrant, it's a wonderful combination of new and old,' she said. 'There are some really special traditional kids' toys as well as some new ones from the Disney Pixar movie 'Coco.' It's a joy to host.' Library officials expect more than 3,000 people to view the tree before the end of the month. Lanthrum said the tree speaks to 'the joy of childhood.' 'The variety of toys – people will enjoy a sense of nostalgia from their own childhood and it will evoke curiosity about some of the toys and maybe somebody else's childhood and it's just a celebration of all that is fun and joyful about childhood,' she said. Valenzuela said the exhibit is designed to make a connection with those viewing it at the library. 'People have said, 'Oh I have this kind of toy' or they remember seeing something like it,' Valenzuela said. 'It's about creating memories. … That's my intention.'
Chicago Tribune
05-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Kane County Board holds town hall meeting on sales tax referendum in advance of April vote
On Monday, the Kane County Board hosted an in-person town hall meeting in Aurora to answer questions about the sales tax referendum question being put to voters in the county on April 1. Next month, Kane County voters will be asked whether they support a 0.75% sales tax increase meant to boost funding for the county's public safety services. The town hall was held at the Santori Public Library in downtown Aurora, and offered residents a chance to learn and ask questions about the referendum in advance of next month's election. District 4 Kane County Board member Mavis Bates gave a presentation at Monday's town hall, emphasizing the public safety services the funds generated by the referendum would be earmarked for, per state law. The majority of the county's funds already go toward public safety costs, Bates said on Monday. 'That's our main job, as it should be,' she said Monday. The presentation also highlighted some of the public safety services that would be funded in part by the referendum, such as prosecuting child pornography cases, veterans suicide prevention support programs and opioid abuse prevention services. Bates also noted that some of the funds generated by a successful referendum would go toward upgrading aging public safety facilities. A sales tax increase of 0.75% means buyers would pay 75 cents more in tax on every $100 they spend on items covered by the tax in Kane County. The county has said there are exemptions for essential items like groceries and prescription medications, which Bates noted are determined by Illinois tax law. Bates said the referendum proposes a sales tax, rather than a property tax, so as to share costs with visitors to Kane County and because homeowners already contribute 'their fair share.' 'We've been working on a flat budget,' Bates said Monday, noting that the county has not seen a property tax increase – aside from increases for new construction – in more than a decade. 'Imagine if your family had had no raises, your Social Security checks had had no cost of living increases. … Our belt just keeps getting tighter and tighter and tighter.' Bates said the sales tax offers another revenue option besides a property tax increase. Separate from the proposed sales tax measure, the county board's approved 2025 budget does include a $2 million property tax levy increase, the first hike in the levy since 2013 except increases to account for new construction, according to past reporting. The property tax levy increase, excluding an increase for new construction, was proposed for 3.4% to match the Consumer Price Index, a measure of inflation set by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While the sales tax referendum only addresses public safety expenses, Kane County Finance Director Kathleen Hopkinson has previously said that the referendum would have a spillover effect, freeing up some of the funds going toward public safety already to other departments and offices. According to the county, services that would receive revenue from the successful passage of the referendum question include the offices of the sheriff, state's attorney, public defender, coroner and circuit clerk; KaneComm 911; Public Health and the Office of Emergency Management. The proposed 0.75% sales tax hike is expected to generate upwards of $50 million annually, Hopkinson previously said. If voters don't approve the referendum question, the county would have to dip into its 90-day reserve funds to balance the 2026 budget, according to past reporting, provided spending remains about the same as 2025. That would leave the county with only about $8 million above the required 90-day reserves, Hopkinson has said. A sales tax referendum has been top of mind for the county board for months, touted by some as a possible solution to the county's cash flow problems. The county has been dipping into its cash reserves to balance its budget, which officials have previously said will be used up by 2027 or 2028 if spending or revenue doesn't change. For example, the county's proposed $416.6 million budget for 2025 uses $29.3 million in reserves from its general fund, not including millions in cuts proposed by the Kane County Board Finance Committee. The referendum wouldn't help balance the county budget until 2026, however, Hopkinson previously said. In September, the Kane County Board approved putting the sales tax referendum question on the April 1 ballot. In opposition to Bates' presentation, that was largely in support of the referendum's role in advancing public safety programs and infrastructure, public comments at Monday's town hall came in sharply against the measure over the cost to residents – including some pushback from within the county government. Kane County Treasurer Chris Lauzen asked Bates a series of questions about the sales tax increase's expected collection, how much the county receives in general fund revenue and other finance questions, criticizing the county's spending and board members' not furnishing some figures about the budget at Monday's meeting. Cheryl Dennin, a resident of the county, asked why the county's annual budget had increased significantly between 2020 and 2024. According to county records, the 2020 budget's general fund expenditures increased from nearly $88 million to just over $92 million from 2019 to 2020. In 2023, that number reached just over $123 million, and went down to around $122 million in 2024. Bates said that lower operating costs for the county during the COVID-19 pandemic were an 'anomaly' due to the influx of federal pandemic funds, and said that federal money the county no longer has was used to pay for some staff salaries during that time, though Dennin suggested that salaries alone were not enough to explain the increase in spending over the past few years. 'In order to retain the best of the best, we need to provide a good incentive to them,' District 6 Kane County Board member Sonia Garcia said on Monday about the need for salary increases to remain competitive with neighboring counties. Kane County Board Chair Corinne Pierog also noted that infrastructure repairs were also increasing expenses – replacing air conditioners at the Kane County Judicial Center and elevators at the courthouse, for example. Brian Anderson, a resident of Sugar Grove, also criticized the county's hiring of a lobbyist, which board members said was hired to help the county save money in the long run. After some back-and-forth, Bates ultimately called the meeting. This town hall was the fourth hosted by the county about the referendum. They will be holding three more in-person meetings for residents to ask questions and offer feedback on the referendum: at the St. Charles Public Library at 5:30 p.m. on March 6, at the Geneva Library at 5:30 p.m. on March 10 and at the Sugar Grove Public Library at 5 p.m. on March 25.
Chicago Tribune
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Artists sought for annual Alley Art Festival in downtown Aurora
Local artists are being sought to take part in the annual Alley Art Festival this summer in downtown Aurora. Applications to take part in the event will be open to artists until June 1, event organizers said in a press release. This will be the 15th year for the festival, which will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30, on Water Street Mall and Downer Place between Stolp Avenue and Water Street in Aurora. The annual festival highlights locally made art, jewelry, pottery, handmade goods and artisan wares, according to the release. The festival is limited to local artists who live within 30 miles of Aurora, however preference is given to Aurora and its adjacent communities if space is limited, organizers said. Live music, belly dancing, children's activities and food vendors will all be part of the afternoon's activities, according to the release. To celebrate its 15th anniversary, the Alley Art Festival is also hosting a series of free, open-to-the-public workshops leading up to the event including a puppet-making workshop from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 22, at Santori Public Library in downtown Aurora. For more information or to apply to be part of the Alley Art Festival, go to Edward Foundation awards $36,000 in nursing scholarships The Edward Foundation has awarded $36,000 in nursing scholarships to eight employees of Endeavor Health Edward Hospital who are pursuing a degree or advanced degree in nursing. The foundation awarded $10,000 each to Jacqueline Moecher, of Naperville, a clinical nurse manager in cardiac telemetry at Edward Hospital in Naperville, and Natalia Fuks, of Minooka, a patient care technician at Edward Hospital's Plainfield Emergency Department. The scholarships were in honor of Peter Veit, who gifted the foundation with $120,000 after his death in 2014 in recognition of the care he received from the Edward nursing staff, a news release said. Moecher, Fuks and six other employees also were awarded $2,000 scholarships. Recipients who live in Naperville are Sandi Darnell, a registered nurse at North Naperville Immediate Care; Jamie Hilgeman, a certified medical assistant at Endeavor Health Center on Hobson Road; and Maria Huerta, a registered nurse in the oncology department at Edward Hospital. Other recipients are Aurora resident Brittany Lewis, a registered nurse in employee health at Edward Hospital; Plainfield resident Saundra Sobczak, a registered nurse in the Plainfield Emergency Department, and Alsip resident Alexis Trubitt, a patient care technician at Edward Hospital. Registration open for program on bird watching Registration is open for the program 'Robert Ridgway: When Amateur Bird Watching Became a Rigorous Science' set for 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, April 27, at the Barbara Belding Lodge in the Brewster Creek Forest Preserve at 6N921 Route 25 in St. Charles. Storyteller Brian 'Fox' Ellis will recount Robert Ridgway in this one-man, first-person performance recounting the history of the Audubon Society and the evolution of bird watching, as it grew from a hobby to a scientific discipline, event organizers said. Ellis will describe Ridgway's wilderness travels, his lifelong work at the Smithsonian Institution, his birding trips into Central America and his journey across Alaska. The second half of the program involves going to Tekakwitha Woods Forest Preserve for a storytelling bird walk. The event is part of the Learn from the Experts program featuring classes about local ecology sponsored by the Forest Preserve District of Kane County, the St. Charles Park District and the Geneva Park District. The free program is for those 18 years old and older. Advance registration is required. To register, go to call 630-444-3190 or email programs@
