Briefs: Chamber to study plan

The Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce decided Monday to form a task force to study Naperville Unit District 203's upcoming Feb. 5 referendum asking voters for a $43 million tax hike to help fund $115 million in school improvements. Ray Kinney, chairman of the chamber's legislative committee, thanked the district for getting information out to the community and said the chamber will look at the issue from all angles before deciding next month whether it will formally endorse the plan. Historically, the chamber has supported District 203 referendums. If the vote is successful, most of the money would be targeted for major repairs to aging Naperville Central High School.

Thin ice warnings

DuPage County Forest Preserve officials are warning residents about thin ice on the preserves' many lakes, ponds and streams. Early winter is particularly dangerous because the chances are greater a pond or lake isn't frozen enough to support a person's weight, forest preserve officials said. Ice fishermen and skaters should check for dangerous conditions before stepping onto the ice. Among the dangerous conditions are cracks, different colored ice, open water, slushy tops, snow cover, objects protruding through ice, running water or bubbles that are visible through the ice and pressure cracks along the shore. Most ice-related activities require 4 inches of clear ice, officials said. The forest preserve doesn't monitor ice conditions and warns users to trek onto the ice at their own risk.

Villa Park increases patrols

The Villa Park Police Department has announced increased patrols between Dec. 17 and Jan. 1. Along with watching for impaired drivers, the officers will be looking for speeding and seat belt violations. The patrols are in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Transportation and an alcohol mini-grant obtained by the police department.