What's ahead for DuPage Co. in 2010?

Looking into the future is a tricky business.

Even in uncertain times, though, we feel at least a little obligated at the start of a new year to gaze through a hazy lens and try to make sense of what's ahead - even if it's murky and uncertain.

Here are some of the news stories we think will be drawing your attention in 2010, particularly in the early stages of the new year. Where we'll end up, of course, is anybody's guess.

Who'll replace Bob:DuPage County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom's gubernatorial bid ends his 12-year stint atop county politics. His decision opened the flood gates for Republican hopefuls, with four GOP candidates vying to replace him and political newcomer Carole Cheney representing the Democrats. In February, GOP voters will decide whether state Sen. Dan Cronin, Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso, county board member Debra Olson or state Sen. Carole Pankau should square off against Cheney in the November election.DuPage County courts:The year opens with two big murder trials in January. Christy Lentz will fight charges she fatally shot her father, Michael, 58, in 2006 during a dispute in the family's Villa Park business. Edward Tenney also goes on trial weeks later for a third murder. Tenney already is serving two life prison terms. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the April 1992 murder of Jerry D. Weber, 24, a father of two, killed during a robbery after his van broke down in a muddy field east of Aurora. Tenney earlier was convicted of the Kane County slayings of dairy heiress Mary Jill Oberweis, 56, and Virginia Johannessen, 75. The women resided in the same neighborhood and were killed two weeks apart in 1993 during separate break-ins in their Aurora Township homes. Later in 2010, prosecutors also expect resolution in the heartbreaking case of Kaushik Patel, a Glendale Heights father accused of setting his two young sons on fire in 2007 amid marital problems. Both boys died of their injuries.Carol Stream eyes rec center:Carol Stream Park District will ask voters in February to approve $37 million to pay for a new recreation center and other park improvements. The center would include an indoor pool and a multiuse gymnasium. Officials have been researching the possibilities since mid-2008 and officially voted to place the question on the Feb. 2 ballot during their Nov. 9 meeting.Ackerman complex will open: Glen Ellyn Park District will open its Ackerman Sports Complex on Jan. 23 in Ackerman Park. The facility has led to a significant rift among commissioners concerned about its final cost. When money for the project was approved in a 2006 referendum proposal, the cost was projected at $7.4 million, along with a $500,000 contingency fund. Today, the total cost has risen to $11.2 million.New cop shop in Aurora:Roughly 400 police officers, emergency operators and other civilians will move into the $108.2 million Aurora police headquarters and branch court facility on Indian Trail Road in January.Schick Road work starts:In April, the village of Bloomingdale is scheduled to start construction on Schick Road, from Lorraine Circle to Gary Avenue. While Schick will remain open, expect lane closures and delays and seek alternate routes, such as Lake Street or Army Trail Road. The $1.3 million project is being funded by a federal economic stimulus American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Grant. Work is expected to end in August.Metea Valley work continues:Metea Valley High School's two-story wing that will house juniors and seniors, as well as the pool, multipurpose gym, fine arts facility and the northern section of the main building, still are on course to be completed by late January. The class of 2014 will arrive in August.Wastewater treatment plant:As Itasca traffic moves along Prospect Avenue, drivers will see construction on a $35 million wastewater treatment plant. Officials broke ground on the site last fall and it should be complete by late 2011. Officials say the plant is needed to prepare for business and population growth in Itasca, and will increase wastewater treatment capacity from 2.65 million to 4 million gallons per day.Development taking shape: The $12 million New Leaf development project at the southeast corner of Roselle and Irving Park roads in Roselle will mix retail and office space with a handful of residential units. The two- and three-story buildings will span almost 2 acres and 41,000 square feet. Village officials and site planners say this design, along with utilities buried underground, will create a more open aesthetic. Officials said stores and offices should move in by late spring or early summer.Metra station in Wood Dale: Wood Dale is expected to complete the $1.27 million reconstruction of its Metra station this winter, which Mayor Ken Johnson threatened to veto last spring in hopes of securing federal funding. Officials said they hope the project will spur retail and housing development in downtown, which encompasses the half-mile radius around the train depot. The new station, designed in a metro-prairie style, will include a coffee shop and restrooms.Villa Park road vote:Villa Park voters will decide Feb. 2 whether the village should borrow $27.5 million to repair its bumpiest streets and increase the village sales tax by 0.5 percent to maintain them. The street improvement program includes reconstruction, resurfacing or patching of 54 streets throughout the village, curb and gutter improvements, and sewer repairs. A Villa Park homeowner with a $250,000 house would pay an additional $199 in property taxes each year for the next 20 years if the bond issue is approved.Naperville layoffs expected:Naperville plans to lay off some of its employees in the new year to help it fill an $11.2 million budget gap. City Manager Doug Krieger has come up with $3.5 million in personnel cost savings and said there will be both layoffs and elimination of vacant positions but would not say how many of either.Navistar's big deal:Navistar, a commercial truck manufacturer, wants to move from its headquarters in Warrenville to the abandoned Alcatel-Lucent complex in Lisle. It would add 2,000 jobs and take over a long-vacant commercial facility, which excited county and village officials. Navistar got the county and village to buy a ring road that surrounds the property from the forest preserve to help sweeten the deal, but it all started to unravel when neighbors complained about noise and safety of testing facilities. A final decision on the move is expected in the spring.Taxes and assessments:The coming year should see assessed values of properties in DuPage County decrease after stagnating in 2009. But township assessors warn that doesn't automatically mean property taxes will decrease because some home-rule communities don't have to abide by tax cap laws and many school districts aren't taxing residents at full capacity.School projects to continue:Naperville Unit District 203 will continue to work on its $114 million in facilities projects in 2010. It expects to open its new $11 million early childhood center on Naper Boulevard in the fall. Crews also will continue working on an $87.7 million renovation and additions at Naperville Central High School.Driscoll Legacy Corridor:Alumni and supporters of the now-shuttered Driscoll Catholic High School in Addison are creating the Driscoll Legacy Corridor, a permanent exhibit in Addison village hall dedicated to the school's history. Members of the Save Driscoll Foundation said it will include displays of about 200 items such as trophies, banners, uniforms, class photos and chapel candles. The project should cost about $50,000 and supporters are raising funds for the display, which they hope to open this winter.Term limits for Naperville?:The newly formed Naperville Voter Education League hopes to have referendums on the November ballot asking residents to approve term limits and/or a district system for city councilmen. But first, they'll need to get thousands of signatures on their petitions.New pub at Stratford: Ballydoyle Irish Pub is slated to open this winter at Stratford Square Mall in Bloomingdale. The 9,700-square-foot pub will offer food, live music and party rooms and will open in an expanded version of the mall's former Houlihan's site. The restaurant will seat 335 customers indoors and have a patio that seats 36.Itasca digs art and wine:After a successful first year, Itasca leaders plan to make the Itasca Fine Art and Wine festival an annual tradition in late September. The 2009 juried fest, "Benches on Parade," featured 70 artists from the area and around the country showing their work in Usher Park and competing for $5,000 in prize money. Five Illinois wineries also offered tastings.Garden options under review:Naperville Park District will study its options for constructing new garden plots on the south side of the city. Plans to build them at DuPage River Park were put on hold due to rising costs and concerns from nearby residents.Greenlighting cameras:DuPage County officials may finally agree on a policy regarding placement of red-light enforcement cameras on county roads. Many municipalities have waited for the county to approve a policy before implementing the devices. The county board is looking into the feasibility of limiting or banning citations issued for right turns on red lights, which the devices predominantly generate.Wheaton Grand's fate:While plans for a $19.3 million overhaul of the Wheaton Grand Theater have been scrapped, a cheaper alternative could be proposed in 2010. A small group of city officials, business owners and theater representatives are examining a $10 million plan that would reopen the theater in downtown Wheaton as an 860-seat venue. Ultimately, it will be up to city council members and park district board members to decide whether they want to get involved. City council members already have said they don't want the theater project to put public money at risk.Winfield's road woes: Needing hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in additional revenue to fix streets, Winfield board members must decide whether to ask voters to approve higher property taxes. Officials are mulling the possibility of a November 2010 referendum because many of the village's roads are in poor to failing condition. Winfield only has about $150,000 for annual repairs to its roads. If voters are asked to approve a pair of property tax increases, the first ballot question would seek permission for Winfield to borrow $3.3 million to resurface its most deteriorated streets. The second question would ask voters to establish an ongoing street maintenance program.True20001312Itasca plans to make its Fine Art and Wine Festival an annual event.Tanit Jarusan | Staff PhotographerTrue