Latest news with #WestAuroraHighSchool
Chicago Tribune
14 hours ago
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Column: A grieving dad opens up about his veteran son's death by suicide
'My son,' he told me, 'should be on that wall also.' At the same time, as I found out later when Waddell and I connected via phone, the longtime North Aurora resident, who retired to Wisconsin in 2006, also understands why former U.S. Army Master Sgt. Michael Waddell's name is not included on the Illinois Fallen Wall among those who gave their lives in service to this country since 9/11. Death by suicide is far more complex. Far too hard to categorize in terms of cause and effect. And there are far too many. Twenty-two a day has been a call-to-action statistic, although the most recent data from the 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report (using 2022 numbers) puts it at 17.6 veterans committing suicide per day, which is significantly higher than among non-veteran adults. 'Can you imagine,' asked Waddell, 'how long a wall it would have to be to contain all of them?' And yes, when the Chris Patterson Memorial Foundation took over the Illinois Fallen Wall display a year ago, founder Bob Patterson – whose son, a West Aurora High School grad, was killed in 2012 in Afghanistan – noted some 'upset' feelings by loved ones grieving a suicide. But like Waddell, he noted, after some discussion they understood the reasoning behind the decision not to include those who took their own lives while in service or later. Still, the pain Waddell feels more than two years after his only child shot himself is palpable. It's a pain that needs acknowledging, as does his son's service to this country. After graduating in 1988 from West Aurora High School, Mike Waddell worked for a year in a warehouse, 'with no direction,' until his dad, a Marmion Academy graduate who worked for UPS, saw the names and addresses of those serving in the military printed in The Beacon-News, and encouraged his son to reach out to some and find out how they liked the experience. Because the feedback was positive, Mike enlisted in November of 1989, and spent the next 22 years in the U.S. Army, including two deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom where, according to his father, he suffered traumatic brain injury when his vehicle hit an IED. The younger Waddell retired as a master sergeant in 2011 and worked for the Army Corps of Engineers until shortly before his death in Jacksonville, North Carolina, according to his father, but struggled with PTSD, which eventually impacted his personality and relationships. Suffering from those invisible wounds, Mike became more verbally abusive, self-medicating on weed and wine, said Ron Waddell, adding that while his son would call the V.A. when 'having a bad day,' he never sought counseling, even with loved ones begging him to get help. With his 30-year marriage crumbling around him, said the elder Waddell, Mike used a gun to take his own life on May 8, 2023. 'As a child, he literally passed out when getting a shot,' recalled the father. 'Imagine the mental anguish he was going through' to end his life in this way. 'Had his mother been alive,' he continued, referring to his wife Andi's death in 2014 after a long battle with cancer, 'it would have killed her.' Waddell described their son as a 'good kid … a funny guy when he was not the way he was in the end.' And he was an excellent soldier, his father noted, referring to the many military commendations he received, as well as a flood of personal accolades from peers following his death. 'Your son was a good man … one of the best non-commissioned officers I have ever worked with,' wrote a fellow soldier who served twice with Mike during his service. While Mike Waddell's career meant most of his adult years were long distance from his dad, he was buried with full military honors at Northwoods National Cemetery in Harshaw, Wisconsin, just 15 minutes from Ron's home. And that gives a still-grieving father tremendous comfort knowing his son is 'finally at peace.' 'I can't emphasize enough how impressed and proud I was of him,' he told me. 'I have so many memories, all good.'
Chicago Tribune
20-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Celebration in Aurora puts children in the spotlight
Saturday was a day for kids as the Aurora Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board hosted its annual El Dia de los Ninos celebration at West Aurora High School. The four-hour community event centered on children featured book giveaways, arts and crafts, inflatables and games, food vendors, raffles and more. Bianca Guzman of Aurora came to the celebration Saturday with her son Lorenzo, 2. 'This is something I wanted to do. I have Lorenzo now and he's a lot more active and into different activities and I'm trying to get him involved in the community,' Guzman said. 'Getting kids raised up and involved in the community, for them to do educational activities is important.' Tony Martinez, who works for the city of Aurora and serves as the liaison to the Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board, said that the event in Aurora has been going on for more than a decade 'to celebrate the day of the children – how they are important to our society.' 'Children are important to our society and it's important to raise them to be the leaders of the future,' he said. 'It's a day for families to get together and we have food vendors, literary stations, games and more. We used to hold this outside but over the years it's always been raining, so we've moved it to an indoor location.' The event has drawn 500 to 1,000 guests per year, a number that Martinez said has remained steady. A mariachi band was brought back this year for the first time in a while, he said. 'We give out prizes and books as we have Disney characters and try to keep it fun for the family and all ages,' he said. 'At the end of the day we really want people to value the children in our community and what they do to contribute. We want to get them out in the community and know we're all together here in the city of Aurora.' Vanessa Saenz of Batavia and her husband Daniel Lopez came to the event with their children and said this was their first time at the festival. 'We really care about cultural immersion for our children and making sure we are keeping tradition in their lives,' Vanessa Saenz said. 'That part of it is really important for us, bringing them to where they have the music, the food, the culture. It reinforces their background.' Daniel Lopez noted that 'Dia de los Ninos is something that we celebrate as a community. We've done it my whole life growing up.' 'It's nice to pass along a little bit of us and keep the tradition going with the kids. It's a little bit different because we usually did it (the celebration) at church, so we weren't coming to a lot of events like this,' he said. 'This is something we want to expand on. It gets the kids out of the house and away from the TV and this keeps the momentum going.' Jaimie Paprocki of Aurora was seen pushing her 6-month-old son Joel in a stroller while her 8-year-old son was inside playing at the festival. 'We wanted to bring the kids over and have some exposure to their culture and have some fun and be part of the community of Aurora,' she said. 'My son is going crazy in there. He went to the bounce castle and the obstacle course and he's having a blast. I think having a day to celebrate kids is spot on. It's showing kids they can come together more and we're celebrating them and showing we have a whole community behind them and getting their parents out and backing them as well.'
Chicago Tribune
16-03-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Former Aurora police officer remembered for his work at East Aurora High School
'Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.' We all know people to whom that may apply, and maybe you are lucky enough to actually be one of those people. I have known many, and one of the first people who always comes to mind is retired Aurora Police Officer Joe Beyke. Officer Beyke passed away in February at age 81, and his memory will live on in the minds of all of the young people he touched in his career in law enforcement. He had a unique role as an officer of the law, and was a pioneer in many ways, along with his fellow Aurora Police Officer Bill Messmer. They faced the task of blazing the trail in Aurora's public high schools in a new and somewhat experimental program. 'A new idea was introduced in Aurora's high schools in the mid-1970s known as the Police Counselor Program,' said Tom Madden, an East Aurora administrator at that time. 'It placed an Aurora police officer in the school on all school days and during many school events.' The officers would be in plain clothes during the school day, but in uniform for evening school events. Students were to learn that the person they grew to like, trust and respect during the day was the same person as the uniformed officer working during an evening event. Officer Beyke was assigned to East Aurora High School from 1976-84, and Officer Messmer to West Aurora High School from 1975-83. In 2014, I caught up with both officers to write a Beacon-News article about the parts they played in the infancy of what would become a very successful program. 'We were to try to communicate to students that we — all of us — had to solve problems together,' Beyke said at the time. 'We were not assigned to pester or arrest kids and that was not the theme at all. 'We were there to assist students and teachers, and to try to solve things at the school level to avoid kids getting into the criminal justice system.' Beyke proved to be a 'natural' for the position. First and foremost, he loved kids, and it began with the love for his own daughters. He loved being with the students, and almost all liked, trusted and respected him — the precise goals of the program. As a fringe benefit of that trust, he would sometimes learn of a potentially dangerous situation that was brewing, and was able to take action to avert it. 'I got to relate to the students, and I think they related to me,' Beyke said in 2014. 'They were probably the best eight years of my career as a police officer. 'My wife Donna and I met hundreds of students, and many would come to our house. We met many wonderful people, and when they graduated, we were in weddings and were even Godparents. We've been lifelong friends and still see a few of them to this day,' he said at the time. East Aurora students during Officer Beyke's time at the school, who are now in their 50s and 60s, posted some wonderful tributes on Facebook. These were only a few: 'He was a good man, and always treated everyone with respect,' 'RIP, you were a difference maker,' 'He was a true soldier, always motivating youths to be all they could be and to never give up. I was one of those youths,' 'He helped me a lot through personal issues. I'll never forget his compassion to help us kids.' But it was a two-way street for Officer Beyke as he told me in 2014. 'I matured as a man because I was fortunate enough to work with fantastic staff, teachers and especially students,' he said. The Police Counselor Program which began at the Aurora schools served as a beginning, and was then implemented at many high schools and middle schools in our area. Madden remembered the earlier days and Officer Beyke's role in particular. 'I have worked with many outstanding police counselors over the years, and Joe Beyke was certainly one of them in his role at East Aurora,' he said. 'He had a unique ability, based on his respect for the mission of schools, to relate extremely well with students to make the school environment safer and more productive for them and the entire community.' As a faculty member at East Aurora High School for most of my career, I was lucky to know Joe Beyke as an outstanding police officer and as a personal friend. I can only echo the thoughts of some of his 'kids.' Officer Beyke, you were a true soldier and a difference maker, and I'll never forget your compassion to help kids. Rest in peace, Officer Beyke.
Chicago Tribune
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
From paintings to music, festival in Aurora puts spotlight on student art
Students' artistic efforts were on full display Saturday at West Aurora High School as School District 129 offered its 17th annual Fine Arts Festival. The free event that was open to the public benefits West Aurora High School's Patrons of the Performing Arts, a nonprofit group which supports music and theater programs at the school. The program was again overseen and organized by West Aurora School District K-12 Fine Arts Curriculum Coordinator Jonathan McLear, who said he has been involved with the program the past 14 years. 'This is our 17th year and it brings student musicians and artists from all of our buildings including elementary, middle school and high school,' he said. 'Everybody gets to see their artwork and take a look at what other levels at other schools are doing.' A large number of students throughout the district were set to participate, 'either singing or playing in a band or have their artwork up,' McLear said a few days before the event. 'Just in our elementary schools alone, we're probably looking at 1,500 elementary kids who have artwork on display or are in a music choir or recorder ensemble,' he said. McLear said there are plenty of works entered for the event. 'Sometimes, it's the teachers selecting the work. Other times, students may ask that their work be entered,' McLear said. 'Every teacher does it a little bit differently, but our art teachers try to show as many as possible.' Regarding performing artists, McLear said that every elementary school 'has one music group that performs, while our middle schools have choirs and bands that are preforming as well as high school jazz bands and concert ensembles performing.' 'I think that one of the neat things we do is our seventh grade bands play alongside our top high school bands, so they are all together in the gym, and the seventh-graders get to experience what it's like sitting alongside kids who have played for seven or eight years,' he said. McLear said that 'one of the best experiences for our younger students is to see the opportunities and continue working on their art.' 'They get to see the progression from middle school and high school. And it's also a great opportunity – a lot of our high school students love this day because they get to relive their past with either old art and music teachers and look at where they came from,' McLear said. 'As far as art classes and supporting the arts, this showcases the level of support District 129 provides to the fine arts and we want to keep it going strong.' Billy and Hannah Vanduzor of North Aurora were among the crowds packing the hallways Saturday at the festival and enjoying the work of their daughter and other students. 'My daughter Nora has art and is performing in her choir,' Hannah Vanduzor said. 'My daughter did a splatter painting using watercolor. We came the past two years and it's a pretty neat event and each year her work is in a frame and hung up in our loft. I just think it's very important to show the various levels of art – you have paintings, ceramics, music. It's really important.' Billy Vanduzor said he 'was pretty creative as a kid and was involved in music.' 'I was a student here at West High so this is a do-over for me,' he said. 'I think this is amazing that they bring kids from every school from the whole district and it's fun to see how inclusive the whole thing is.' Mike Leverence, an art educator at Freeman Elementary School, said the festival is 'an amazing event.' 'We're all excited to show what our students can do – their creative talents – and it's great to meet family and have everybody come in and celebrate what their children are able to do,' he said. 'We can go and listen to students sing and hear the band and see their artistic skills as well. Arts are important and it's the thing that gets kids to come to school some days. It shouldn't be an afterthought.' Leah Lichy of North Aurora, along with her husband Paul and son Kooper, 7, said this was their first year at the festival and that their fourth-grade daughter Ireland 'was playing the recorder' at the event. 'It's kind of cool to see everything in the same place and be around all the kids,' Leah Lichy said.
Chicago Tribune
27-02-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
School board OKs $1.8 million contract for roof work at West Aurora High School, Freeman Elementary
The West Aurora School District board has approved roofing improvement projects to be done this summer at West Aurora High School and Freeman Elementary School. The board recently awarded a contract of $1.8 million to Malcor Roofing of St. Charles for the work. There were nine bidders of record and four bids were received, with Malcor Roofing being the lowest responsive bidder, officials said. The district's architectural firm Studio GC Architecture + Interiors of Chicago analyzed the bids and qualifications of the bidders and recommended that the contract for the roofing improvements project be awarded to Malcor Roofing. Contractors were asked to provide pricing for one alternate which is included in the total bid amount. Malcor provided an alternate to do work on sections of Freeman Elementary worth $165,700. The alternate was recommended and accepted by the board as well. 'This actually came in better than budget so we will be recommending the base bid and alternate,' West Aurora School District Associate Superintendent of Business Angie Smith said. 'On the roof work, at Freeman it is essentially the entire roof. We had a newer portion as an alternate, but since we came in under budget including the alternate we will do that as well,' Smith said. Malcor Roofing has done considerable roof-related work in the district, she added. 'Even with the alternate we are $200,000 under budget,' Smith said. The bidding process has become more competitive since the end of Elementary and Secondary School Relief (ESSER), a federal grant program that provided financial assistance to schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. 'This is the first season post-ESSER. When there was so much money being spent, we sometimes saw higher bids than we like,' Smith said. The high school roof work has been ongoing as needed. The building had additions several times and the related rooftops are of varying ages, Smith said.
