Prairie Parkway foes says Rt. 47 is being pushed aside for funding

Foes of the proposed Prairie Parkway are miffed that the state has set aside $32 million for that project but much less toward improving Route 47 this year.

The funds will be used for engineering, land acquisition, and utility movement for a five-mile Kendall County section of the 37-mile highway, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. The project is included in the state budget approved last month. The road would connect the Reagan Memorial Tollway near Kaneville to I-80 near Morris.

"IDOT continues to ignore the urgent need for adding lanes to Illinois 47," said Jan Strasma, chairman of Citizens Against the Sprawlway, the grassroots group that formed to fight the highway. "Instead the state has a single-minded obsession with building the Prairie Parkway, which will destroy farmland, threaten environmental resources and accelerate sprawl."

Strasma's organization is part of the 47+ Coalition, a group of 11 environmental, agricultural, and public interest groups that prefer expanding Route 47 and other existing roads to building the parkway. IDOT's budget includes $600,000 to resurface and repair Route 47 in Yorkville.

Grant process tweaked

County officials want to make it easier for community organizations and nonprofit groups to apply for grants. The county board's riverboat grant subcommittee Tuesday approved changes to the riverboat grant program that better aligns it with its community development block grant program.

Riverboat grant administrator Maureen Anderson plans to revise the grant form to make it more similar to the CDBG form. Also, both grants will be due around the same time. This should translate into a little less work for applicants seeking funds under both programs.

"We really have the opportunity to better leverage our dollars to help the community," board chairman Karen McConnaughay said.

Anderson also plans to conduct four forums across the county in November to promote the riverboat grant program.

Since its inception in 1997, the county has doled out more than $80 million in grants through its riverboat grant program, funded by Elgin's Grand Victoria casino. Annual allocations equal 7.5 percent of the boat's profits.

The CDBG program, which has existed in Kane County since 1998, has provided $12.3 million over the past nine years. The funds come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Stop the presses for Tiballi:

Former coroner hopeful Dr. Bob Tiballi will not challenge Chuck West for the GOP nomination this time around. He sent a press release to that effect this week -- just in case you were wondering.

The Elgin doctor said he still believes the county should do away with an elected coroner in favor of an appointed medical examiner who is a licensed physician. Tiballi plans to devote his time "to business and family matters." He specializes in fighting infectious diseases at Germbusters, P.C. in Elgin.

Still waiting to hear from Stan Hickrod, the other Republican left in the dust by incumbent West four years ago.