Latest News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2008
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE PASSES LEGISLATION
CLARIFYING STB RESPONSIBILITY TO COMMUNITIES
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 24, 2008) – The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has passed legislation that would instruct the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) to take into account the impact on local communities before they approve railroad mergers. The legislation passed the Committee by a unanimous voice vote and is now headed to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration. The legislation is a direct result of the unprecedented opposition demonstrated by the communities adversely impacted by the proposed acquisition of the EJ&E Line by Canadian National Railway. The TRAC Coalition thanks Chairman Oberstar, Ranking Member Mica and the co-sponsors of the legislation for their continued advocacy on this issue.
“The action taken by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee reflects the growing momentum against this proposed acquisition,” said Barrington Village President Karen Darch, Co-Chair of TRAC. “We’re one step closer in confirming that our nation’s rail policy should not pick winners and losers, but rather strike a balance between the quality of life of residents and freight rail efficiencies.”
“Some have questioned whether the Surface Transportation Board can base its final determination giving equal weight to community impact and anti-competitive standards,” said Aurora Mayor, Tom Weisner, Co-Chair of TRAC.” I am pleased that Congress is taking action to clarify these issues on behalf of the taxpayers and families across the country that live near train tracks.”
H.R. 6707, the TRACS (Taking Responsible Action for Community Safety) Act, was introduced by House Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar, Illinois Congresswoman Melissa Bean, Congresswoman Judy Biggert, Congressman Bill Foster, Congressman Don Manzullo, Congressman Peter Roskam, Indiana Congressman Peter Visclosky along with 13 other Members of Congress in response to Canadian National’s proposed acquisition of the EJ&E Line. TRAC officials assert the proposed acquisition will cost U.S. taxpayers more than a billion dollars to mitigate the traffic, safety and environmental issues caused by CN’s plan to significantly increase freight traffic.
TRAC (The Regional Answer to Canadian National) is a coalition of suburban leaders that have joined forces to ensure the quality of life of more than one million residents in 40 Chicagoland communities is not adversely impacted by this proposed acquisition. TRAC includes municipal and county leaders from Lake, Cook, McHenry, Kane, DuPage and Will Counties along with northwest Indiana. Barrington Communities Against CN Rail Congestion represents the interest of Barrington area communities and is an active member of TRAC. For more information, visit www.fightrailcongestion.com
Aurora Police to Offer Online Crime Alerts
A Message from Alderman Chris Beykirch
Aurora Police hope that the introduction of a web-based community alert system that will inform citizens and businesses of crimes or incidents will help them clear more cases while further solidifying community partnerships.
The program, Citizen Observer, will allow Aurora Police to quickly disseminate information on specific criminal cases, wanted fugitives, crime trends, and other alerts to anyone that signs up to receive them.
“This new tool has the potential to become a very important part of our community policing initiatives”, said Chief of Police William Powell. “It enhances communication with the people we serve and gives them powerful information to help us prevent and solve crime and continue to improve the quality of life on our streets.”
Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner is encouraging citizens and businesses to sign up for the alerts. “The community is the most effective partner to successful law enforcement. I strongly recommend that everyone sign up on Citizen Observer and help our officers by becoming their eyes and ears.”
By logging onto the website, www.citizenobserver.com Aurora residents can, in a matter of seconds, sign up for alerts and other information that is disseminated via the department’s Community Policing Division and approved by the Chief of Police. The news can be tailored to specific areas of the city, neighborhood groups, businesses, etc., as needed; and can also contain mug shots, security photos, and web links. The information will also contain contact information so that citizens can forward any helpful tips directly to the authorities, anonymously if they wish.
Missing persons, home or business burglary trends, criminals for whom police are searching, and appeals for information on select crimes, are some of the alerts that Aurora Police are planning to post on the website. “Not a single crime has ever been solved without information from the public”, said Chief Powell. “This website literally gives me thousands of more detectives and as a result, puts more criminals behind bars.”
In order to sign up for the alerts, log onto the Citizen Observer website, click on the “sign up for alerts” tab, and follow the prompts. The entire process which will take only a few seconds to complete.
The initiative is being funded through the East Aurora Weed and Seed grant which is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice.
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Allied Waste holiday collection schedule
- Christmas on Tuesday, Dec. 25: one day late after Monday.
- New Year's Day on Tuesday, Jan. 1: one day late after Monday.
- Martin Luther King Day on Monday, Jan. 21: regular pickup.
- Presidents Day on Monday, Feb. 18: regular pickup.
- Good Friday on Friday, March 21: regular pickup.
- Memorial Day on Monday, May 26: one day late all week.
- Independence Day on Friday, July 4: one day late after Thursday.
- Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 1: one day late all week.
- Columbus Day on Monday, Oct. 13: regular pickup.
- Veterans Day on Tuesday, Nov. 1! 1: regular pickup.
- Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 27: one day late after Wednesday.
- Christmas on Thursday, Dec. 25, 2008: one day late after Wednesday.
- New Year's Day on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2009: one day late after Wednesday.
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Alert from the Architectural Review Committee
It has been noted there are a number of homes replacing siding and roofing in Oakhurst this summer. The Architectural Review Committee (ARC) has been notified of homeowners changing siding and roof color without prior approval. This is a reminder that there are regulations in Oakhurst regarding color changes to your home. The Architectural Guidelines Section 2.3 states:
Exterior Color Selection Your home may be repainted or re-sided in the same material and color scheme at any time. Color changes (including changes in hue, tone, value or intensity) and siding material changes (e.g. from cedar to aluminum) require ARC approval in accordance with Section 3.5.11.
Please refer to Section 3.5.11 of the Architectural Guidelines, which provides detailed requirements regarding exterior changes to your home. Changes to the exterior of your home require submittal of a Modification Request and ARC approval prior to making the change. These regulations exist to ensure the aesthetic quality of Oakhurst is maintained and a monotonous effect in your neighborhood is avoided. It should be noted that, in accordance with Section 4.4 of the Architectural Guidelines, a homeowner may be subject to a $100 fine for failing to submit and obtain approval of a change to the exterior of their home. Depending on the situation, a homeowner may be required to revise the exterior of their home to resolve Architectural Guideline violations. - Oakhurst ARC
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Assessment Information
Yearly Assessment Invoices are mailed out in January. Payments are due by March 1. Any payment received after the March first will incur late charges of $10.00 each month.
Payments should be sent to:
Old Second Bank
PO Box
2164
Aurora, IL 60507
Do not send payments to Baum Property Services. This will only
delay your payment being posted to your account in a timely manner.
To
assist in the payment of your assessments, please include the invoice stub with
the check and write your account number on the front of the check. All checks
need to be written to Oakhurst Community Association.
Questions regarding
your account should be directed to Baum Property Services, 897-0500. Please ask
to speak with the Accounting Department. Baum's Hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday
through Friday.
Neighborhood Representatives Wanted
Representatives are needed from each neighborhood to represent your block of residents. Duties include attending monthly Board meetings, obtaining feedback from residents, and providing feedback to Board members. Terms are for one year. Interested residents should e-mail Baum Property Services Ltd.
Garden Club News
Visit the clubs page for the latest Garden Club news and upcoming meeting dates