Tide shifts for Naperville, Lisle and Aurora in 2007

There is a place in eastern Canada called the Bay of Fundy. Its claim to fame is its wildly changing tides.

Walk to the shore at one point in the day and you can see boats bobbing in the water along the docks. Return a few hours later, when the tide has retreated, and the same boats are resting on the sea floor -- still tied to the very same docks.

That's what it was like this year in Naperville, Lisle and Aurora. The tide always seemed to be shifting, making it difficult to get your bearings.

One minute Indian Prairie Unit District 204 was making plans to break ground on its new high school, and in the blink of an eye no one knew where the school might be built, when it might be built or even if it will be built.

One minute Naperville City Manager Peter Burchard was singing the city's praises, the next he was hurriedly resigning.

One minute Naperville Councilman Richard Furstenau was being acquitted of a battery charge, and the next he was suing the very city he represents.

When the year started, Barbara Heller was heading Naperville Park District, Howard Crouse was superintendent of Indian Prairie and Peter Lueck was in charge of Lisle Unit District 202. By year's end, they were all either gone or leaving.

It was that kind of year. A year of change and uncertainty. A year of changing tides.

Furstenau factor

Naperville City Councilman Richard Furstenau was acquitted of battery against a police officer in May after more than a year of legal wrangling.

He then threatened to sue the city he helps govern if he wasn't paid $130,000 to cover damage to his reputation and the costs of his failed state Senate bid.

The city refused and, in October, Furstenau filed a federal lawsuit claiming his civil rights were violated.

Furstenau first sued the city and three police officials, but eventually added former city manager Peter Burchard, city attorney Margo Ely and police officer union president Joe Matchett to the lawsuit after a series of letters critical of Furstenau were circulated throughout the city and in the media.

In December, the city council voted to censure Furstenau for his alleged nastiness to some employees, but he argued it was simply payback for his lawsuit.

Burchard's departure

Naperville City Manager Peter Burchard's surprised almost everyone by resigning in November after 10 years at the helm to accept a position in the private sector.

He surprised them again a short time later when he went public with a memo that was highly critical of Furstenau.

Before all that, he had been one of the city's biggest cheerleaders and helped lead one of the largest residential and commercial booms in the city's history.

Park director quits

In March, Naperville Park District Director Barbara Heller announced her resignation, citing differences in vision and goals with board members over a project to build a recreation center in Frontier Park. She took a job with a private consulting firm.

Heller arrived in November 2004 promising to restore the district's reputation and credibility after former director Ken Brissa resigned following accusations of financial mismanagement.

Though some hailed Heller's vision and professionalism, others ultimately criticized her ability to bring the community together.

District 203 facilities

Naperville Unit District 203 put together a draft master facilities plan after nearly four years of studying the issue and several months of community engagement meetings and tours earlier this fall.

The school board voted Dec. 3 to ask voters for a $43 million tax increase via a Feb. 5 referendum. The money will help fund $115 million in projects around the district, including an $87.7 million renovation of Naperville Central High School, which officials say is aging and overcrowded.

Metea Valley High School

A jury delivered a blow to Indian Prairie Unit District 204 in September when it decided the land where it wanted to build Metea Valley High School is worth $31 million -- double what the district anticipated.

The district already owns 25 acres at the site off Route 59, near 75th Street and Commons Drive, in Aurora and had hoped to purchase an additional 55 acres to build its third high school.

Officials say the additional school is necessary to relieve overcrowding at Neuqua and Waubonsie Valley high schools.

About a month after learning the verdict, the school board decided it cannot afford the property and began negotiating with several other landowners.

The school was supposed to open in fall 2009, but that no longer seems likely.

Planned Parenthood

After weeks of protests and controversy, one of the country's largest Planned Parenthood facilities opened in October on Aurora's east side.

Abortion opponents claimed the clinic misrepresented itself in permit applications and shouldn't be allowed to open. Hundreds attended protest rallies and spoke during public comment sessions against the clinic.

But after the city's independent review showed no legal basis for denying the facility an occupancy permit, it was allowed to open. Abortion opponents, meanwhile, who drew national attention for their strategy, continue to hold monthly on-site protests.

Lisle wins honors

Lisle officials were all smiles this year when Money magazine named the village one of the best small towns in America to live in.

Ring those bells

Seven years after the start of the new millennium, the Moser Tower at Naperville's Millennium Carillon was finally completed and opened to the public in late July.

More than 2,000 visitors made the trip to the top of the observation deck at the 136-foot landmark before the deck was closed for the season.

The city bought the embattled monument last year and spent $3.3 million to finish construction of the tower. The final tally to taxpayers was more than $5 million, though, due to several loans the city forgave and paid out.

T-shirts

A federal judge ruled in April that a T-shirt worn by Neuqua Valley High School student Heidi Zamecnik that read, "Be happy, not gay," violated Indian Prairie Unit District 204's policy of teaching tolerance and was derogatory to gays.

Zamecnik wore the shirt for the 2006 Day of Truth, an event in rebuttal to the Day of Silence in which students support gay and lesbian rights.

The 2007 Day of Truth and Day of Silence took place just days after the judge's ruling, but both passed without incident.

However, in September, attorneys for sophomore Alexander Nuxoll, who was a plaintiff along with Zamecnik, again filed suit and said the school is violating his right to free speech by not allowing him to wear an anti-gay shirt. That case is pending.

Safe ride home

A new enterprise was rolled out during the summer that allowed downtown Naperville visitors who had imbibed a little too much during the evening to call for a tow truck to come fetch them and their vehicles for a ride home.

The Aurora-based NDUIT (No DUI Tonight) created nationwide buzz after the business plan was first reported in the Daily Herald. Operators reported a successful summer and a number of similar operations have been spawned elsewhere in the country as a result.

Parental notification

Aurora aldermen voted unanimously in November to send a message to the state urging officials to enforce a parental notification act that has been in limbo since 1995. The act requires parents to be told before abortions are performed on minors. Aldermen say other towns, such as Naperville, also may look to create their own resolution of support.

Tiwari family

Arson investigators determined a Naperville mother set fire to her home Aug. 11, killing her two young children and herself.

Nimisha Tiwari, 32, bought gasoline a few hours before setting the blaze at the family's home, police said. The mother's body, along with the bodies of 4-year-old Vardaan and 18-month-old Ananya, were found in the master bedroom.

The children's father, Anand Tiwari, has done work with children's charities to honor the slain youngsters.

New boss in District 204

Indian Prairie Unit District 204 leadership changed hands this year as Howard Crouse retired as superintendent in June. The school board chose Stephen Daeschner as his replacement.

Daeschner's resume includes 41 years in education, including the past 14 years at the helm of Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Ky., where he oversaw about 98,000 students and was named the state's Superintendent of the Year in 2006.

At Crouse's final meeting in June, the school board voted to name the district's administration officers after him as a tribute to his 26 years in the district.

District 202 picks leader

Lisle Unit District 202 completed its search for a new superintendent in December when it hired Patricia Wernet from a South Berwyn district to replace the retiring J. Peter Lueck. Lueck plans to step down at the end of June.

Parking decks

A new downtown Naperville parking deck construction plan finally took shape this year, which includes a 1.5 percent food and beverage tax hike at downtown eateries to help offset the cost of the projects.

The addition of private parking ventures drove down city costs and pushed back a project to build a deck at the downtown Nichols Library.

Instead, an addition to the Van Buren parking deck will be built first, likely followed by the creation of a deck along a soon-to-be-redeveloped Water Street on the downtown's south end and then the library deck.

Once complete, close to 1,500 new spaces will have been created at a cost to taxpayers of roughly $30 million.

Legislators stepping down

Two Naperville state legislators announced they would not seek re-election in 2008.

State Rep. Joe Dunn announced first, citing exhaustion from the lengthy legislative session and family commitments. Dunn's district covers portions of Naperville, Aurora and Warrenville.

State Rep. Jim Meyer then announced he would step aside after his current term ended. He cited health concerns and family commitments for his decision. His district covers portions of Naperville, Wheaton, Lisle, Bolingbrook and Woodridge.

Board changes in 203

Naperville Unit District 203 school board member Jim Caulfield resigned abruptly in July citing personal reasons. He was just starting the third year of his first term. The next month the school board chose Jackie Romberg, a former financial consultant and frequent volunteer in the district, to fill Caulfield's seat. Romberg was among 24 residents to apply for the position.

Peterson opens

The doors to Peterson Elementary School in Naperville finally opened in August.

The $11 million building sat empty for a year when development in the area lagged. However, the school board decided to move students from Wheatland Elementary into the new facility this year.

Wheatland, the oldest and smallest of the district's schools, became a space for early childhood education and storage.

The new school is named after Danielle-Joy Peterson, who attended District 204 schools and went on to work for the district's human resources department. After battling cystic fibrosis and rheumatoid arthritis for much of her life, she died in 2002 at the age of 22.

Library makeover

Visitors at Aurora Public Library's Eola Road Branch noticed some improvements in September. The library, 555 S. Eola Road, got a renovation with a new computer lab, a silent reading room, four group study rooms, two bathrooms, a staff lounge, a conference room and a large meeting room. The makeover, leaders say, helps put the library in a better position to serve its growing crowds.

Downtown bands

Live bands at downtown Naperville bars and restaurants were silenced in the summer after a downtown resident complained that noise ordinances weren't being followed. Several businesses were cited by police after being warned of excessive noise. Eventually, many chose to stop live performances. The issue is expected to re-ignite in the spring when the weather warms.

Arson charges

A Naperville real estate broker was charged with several counts of arson related to a number of residential construction fires in the city over the past two years.

Richard J. Knapp, 49, of 3913 Highknob Circle was charged with arsons in his neighborhood and adjacent neighborhoods at houses that were under construction.

He was caught when neighbors saw him steal their garbage cart, empty it in their yard, roll it to his house where he filled it with refuse, lit it on fire and rolled it back to the neighbor's yard, police said.

NCC begins work

North Central College began construction on its $29.2 million state-of-the-art concert hall and fine arts center this spring.

Located at Ellsworth Street and Chicago Avenue, the 57,000-square-foot facility will feature a 605-seat concert hall with world-class acoustics, a 150-seat black box experimental theater, a dance studio, rehearsal space and an art gallery.

The college has undertaken a number of fundraising projects throughout the year, raising more than $25 million for the center, which is scheduled to open in summer 2008.

New teachers contract

Naperville Unit District 203 approved a new contract with its teachers union in April, just a week before the school board election.

The new two-year deal, which begins with the 2008-09 school year, gives teachers average annual salary increases of 3.8 percent.

The timing of the contract was a source of contention among some board and community members because of its proximity to the election, which could have produced up to three new board members. The deal also took just three weeks to negotiate.

Then board-President Dean Reschke said the board needed to act while it had leverage in retirement benefits. To address the timing of the deal, either side will be allowed to reopen negotiations for 2009-10.

Burrito time

Burrito mania hit Naperville this summer. In one of the year's most creative marketing ploys, the Naperville Park District teamed with Chipotle Mexican Grill to host a city-wide burrito hunt.

In June, 30 faux burritos were hidden in parks all over the city, with kids and adults alike searching from sunup to sundown for the prize -- worth a year of free meals from Chipotle.

Not surprisingly, all were found within a few days.