'Sportsmen' irk Batavia mayor, alderman

Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke and Ald. Tom Schmitz were peeved about some reckless river behavior during last weekend's storms.

"Some individuals who are sportsmen decided their calling was to put themselves in kayaks in the Fox River and fly over the Batavia dam," Schielke said.

Schmitz said he and friends were watching the river at 11 a.m. Sunday when they saw two people in kayaks approach the dam. "They reached a point where they could not turn around, but they were good enough to literally shoot the dam," he said. "What would that do to our emergency personnel if they had to rescue them ... if they (firefighters) had to put themselves in danger?"

"I wish we could catch these people and issue them tickets," said a steamed Schielke.

Schielke said he is going to write to officials at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to ask for better enforcement of laws along the river. There are signs warning boaters to stay away from the dam.

Batavia's Clark Island Park remained closed Tuesday, and Geneva's Island Park was expected to open today as flood cleanup continues.

In Geneva, flood debris can be disposed of during regular garbage pickup this week, and stickers are not required. Carpet bundles should be cut to 4-foot lengths and tied.

Also, if water came up through your floor drains, the public works department wants to know about it, to determine if there are problems with the sanitary sewer system. Call (630) 232-1551.

Wheeler Park on Route 31 in Geneva is being cleaned and water pumped to better-draining locations. A fallen tree branch damaged part of the miniature golf course, but repair should be done by the weekend, according to Larry Gabriel, superintendent of parks and properties. Most of the park is open, but people are asked to stay off the practice field until it dries more.

Mill Creek Community Park is receding nicely, with minimal damage, he said. The playground at Island Park will be closed until staff can disinfect the equipment and replace 90 cubic yards of surface material that washed away.

In Batavia, the north loop to the Riverwalk path system opened Tuesday, and the bicycle path at Hawks Bluff Park has been rerouted.

Residents experiencing surface pounding or flooding can request assistance from the city by calling (630) 454-2000. The city will also respond to sanitary sewer backups in residents' homes.

Storm-related garbage such as flooded carpet will be picked up for free during regular garbage collection east of the river Thursday, west of the river Friday and west of Randall Road Monday. It should be separated from regular trash and recyclables. If you have storm debris to be picked up, call the Street Department at (630) 454-2423.

West Chicago residents whose property or homes sustained storm-related damage can discard resulting debris without garbage stickers on their normal pickup day this week. Residents can put trash to the curb immediately, without waiting for the normal period of the night before pickup day.