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Arlington Heights trustee 'unaware' of double exemption

Until I phoned him, three-term Arlington Heights Trustee John Scaletta was unaware he'd been claiming two primary homeowner exemptions - one for his Evergreen Street home where he lives with his wife and son and another for a house 3½ miles away on Fernandez Place.

Records from Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios' office show the Evergreen property was purchased by Scaletta's wife before they were married and a primary homeowner exemption has been claimed at least since tax year 2009 on the property. The couple have also claimed a primary exemption on the Fernandez Place house for the same period, resulting in them paying about $4,200 less in property taxes over the years.

"I went home and grabbed my property tax bill and headed to the township office," Scaletta said a few hours after I called him about the exemptions, which I'd heard about through an anonymous tip. Scaletta says he and his wife each owned houses in the village before they married and began living together. After the township confirmed the error, he filled out a waiver to take off the exemption on the Fernandez Place property. "Better you calling than the county," he quipped.

Growing tab

I've done a number of stories on public officials from both sides of the aisle claiming double exemptions - GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner, Democratic U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth and Democratic state Senate primary bidder Steve Caramelli of Hoffman Estates among them. The frequency of these occurrences led Berrios to push for a law, passed in 2013, that allows the assessor's offices to pursue and recoup funds. Berrios office collected $8 million from erroneous exemptions that were uncovered in the last year alone, and roughly $15.6 million so far.

Don't mess with her

You don't think of your typical grade-school librarian hurling stones, hammers and sheafs, but

Gates Elementary librarian Elissa Hapner was named the Highland Games women's world champion. Courtesy of Elissa Hapner

Elissa Hapner is anything but typical. The 27-year-old Aurora resident, a library resource assistant at Gates Elementary School in Aurora, was named women's world champion at the Highland Games late last month in Phoenix. Hapner was introduced to the games, a competition and celebration of Scottish culture, through an Aurora University track coach. "I personally love being exhausted," Hapner said of the sound night's sleep her training regimen induces. Hapner tells me she and Rottweiler Lucy wake at 5 a.m. every day and run three miles before launching into some Olympic-style weightlifting before getting ready for work.

Nova Nation

Over the last few weeks I've spent quite a bit of time profiling Jalen Brunson, the Villanova men's basketball freshman standout who's a graduate of Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire. But in the wake of my alma mater winning the NCAA national championship in an incredible buzzer-beating shot, I also learned from Kirk Dillard, chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority, that one of the team's managers is from Hinsdale. What's more,

Villanova University senior Sean Catalano from Hinsdale manages the men's basketball team. Courtesy of Catalano family

Sean Catalano, a senior finance major at Villanova, got to see some family history repeating itself. Dad Chris Catalano was a Villanova senior in 1985, during the team's last NCAA championship appearance - an upset victory over Georgetown University.

Outsourcing driver ed?

It's deadline week in Springfield, which means the pressure's on to get hundreds of bills out of committee so they can be voted on by the full General Assembly. One of them, by state Rep. Ron Sandack of Downers Grove, would allow school boards to enter into contracts with private drivers education companies to teach the course and also allow students to opt out of gym classes if they're engaged in "appropriate physical fitness activities outside of school." Critics say it's an attempt by the governor's office to weaken unions, but supporters say it provides school districts more local control and flexibility.

Shortlisted

Streamwood native Hannah Perryman's had a good week. Not only has the University of Missouri St. Louis senior broken the NCAA Division II record for strikeouts, but she's also considered to be on the short list for the 2016 professional softball draft, according to top softball blogger Justin McLeod. Best of luck to Perryman, who also worked to strengthen Illinois' stalking laws after a harrowing experience as a young girl.

Eyes on Ginger

Meanwhile, Lake County Farm Bureau Executive Director

Lake County Farm Bureau Executive Director Greg Koeppen courtesy of Greg Koeppen

Greg Koeppen tells me he had a front-row seat in Los Angeles this week as a guest of "Good Morning America" weather anchor Ginger Zee, a former NBC 5 Chicago meteorologist who's competing on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars."

"It's been so great to watch her career skyrocket, see her find a wonderful husband and have a beautiful baby. Seeing her perform live last night was a memory I will always treasure," Koeppen says.

• Got a comment or tip? Email Kerry at klester@dailyherald.com or reach her at (847) 427-4603.

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