The boxes came. And came. Glow-in-the-dark bracelets. Blinking necklaces. And hundreds of sky lanterns. They were the pieces of what would become the Stars of Hope Sky Lantern Festival (on Facebook here). They arrived on Jen Slepicka’s doorstep as she mothered her 6-year-old son, organized a friend’s birthday celebration, designed websites and encouraged everyone but herself to do television or radio interviews about the festival. The boxes themselves carried hope. Hope that people would support the idea. Hope that nothing but the fuel cells on the lanterns would catch fire. Hope that people …
They say all politics is local. We'd like to explore how national politics affect local businesses and residents (and hopefully foster a few good, clean political discussions), so Oswego, Montgomery and Yorkville Patches are hosting a debate viewing party. Please join us starting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, at Kendall Grille (formerly Kendall Pub) in downtown Yorkville. Several televisions in the back of the restaurant will show candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama discussing domestic policy - including the state of our economy. Jim Lehrer, Executive Editor of the PBS NewsHour, will …
When I started, I wondered if someone was going to yell at me. They didn't. I did feel a little weird meandering around the parking lot by Southern Belle's and Anytime Fitness, slipping envelopes under windshield wipers, but the group of ladies who asked me about it in the library parking lot were very congenial. I had handwritten an explanation on the envelopes: "In memory of Mike Morris. Mike used this concept to brighten a stranger's day. I hope your day is fabulous." Mike Morris would have turned 33 on Tuesday, but he died this summer when his Jeep Cherokee rolled back on him while he was…
In honor of Hometown Days, Yorkville Patch is hosting a coloring contest. It's simple: Your child can color in one of the three sheets attached to this article as a PDF, and you can fill out the entry form, which also is attached to this article as a PDF. We'll also have these forms at the Patch booth at Hometown Days. Then, you just drop the coloring sheet off at the Patch booth at Hometown Days (we'll be there Thursday through Sunday) or at Rosati’s Pizza Pub, 1985 Marketview Dr, Yorkville, and White Water Ice Cream through Sept. 5, 2012. We will be drawing 10 winners randomly. One grand …
A red-and-white striped hat might be bobbing above the crowd Friday at the Yorkville Area Chamber of Commerce's River Night festival. The signature hat of the Cat in the Hat, that is. Fox Country Players is bringing the Cat, along with Thing One and Thing Two, to the festival at Bicentennial Riverfront Park. The famous Seuss characters will be available for photographs with young attendants, and (with parents' permission) the photos will be posted on Yorkville Patch. I'll be there, too, in my green Patch t-shirt and with my camera in hand.(In the spirit of full disclosure, I'm on the Chamber'…
This year, River Night really isn't just one night. The annual event, which is a major fundraiser for the Yorkville Area Chamber of Commerce, will feature 28 Days, a Chicago-based cover band, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. June 22. The event itself will be from 5 to 10 p.m. at Bicentennial Riverfront Park. The Chamber also is bringing Classical Blast, a group of classically trained musicians performing rock, to Yorkville on June 23. The venue depends on the weather: If June 22 is blessed with clear skies, Classical Blast will perform at Rosati's Pizza Pub on June 23. If the skies open and pour rain …
Free family fun. Plus a beer tent. And Chicago-based cover band 28 Days. What's not to love about River Night? The annual event is a major fundraiser for the Yorkville Area Chamber of Commerce, so I didn't skip a beat when Chamber member Cory Poris asked me to sit on the planning committee. I can assure you we have some fun things in store for you. The festivities will be from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, June 22 (rain date: June 23) at Bicentennial Riverfront Park. 28 Days will perform from 7:30 to 10 p.m. According to the band's website, they don't do “Heavy Metal” or “Prog Rock” because they know …
My mom knows what I don't know, has the spare parts I don't yet know I need, rides ATVs and tractors, loves Robert Frost and reads Yorkville Patch regularly. Also, until a few days ago, she had baby chicks living in a box on her kitchen table. They are now in the coop she built herself, and before long, she will be sending me home with farm fresh eggs - which are exponentially better than the ones available at the store. She quilts BY HAND, went through a phase when she made awesome purses out of hardcover books and has more faith in her three children than any trio of flawed individuals …
Small businesses are important. Some say they are the backbone of our economy. And they don't particularly need to be that small on Facebook: Yorkville Patch has 1,260 Facebook fans. Homeplate Hotdogs has 618. Kendall Pub has 1,088. Some local businesses have fewer, though. So, I'm proposing a special Facebook exchange. I'll post about you, if you post about me. Then, other local businesses can "share" that post from the Yorkville Patch Facebook page on their own pages to help support other local businesses. If you are a Yorkville area business with an independent Facebook page and you'd like…
It's April, which means most of us have made a dent in our spring cleaning -- which also means garage and yard sale season is in full swing. Here at Yorkville Patch we pride ourselves on local, useful information. That includes who has books for a bargain, a dresser in their driveway or some clothes laid out on the lawn. Posting your garage sale on Yorkville Patch is easy ... and even better yet, it's free. You must be registered on Patch and logged in to enter an event, so do that first at yorkville.patch.com/signin. (If you're signing up for a new account, remember that our Terms of Use …
A few Yorkville Patch Facebook fans asked about seeing the full, unedited video of the Feb. 28 City Council meeting. That was the meeting held at the Yorkville Public Library due to the crowd expected for discussion on the Kennedy Road bike trail. The YouTube video for that meeting has been embedded here. Here's a link to the city's YouTube channel.
In rough economic times, budgeting more often involves hard choices than truly interesting discussions. Yorkville leaders are several weeks into budget discussions and have tweaked the original document through a list of changes. The listed changes won’t be merged into the overall budget document until the City Council approves the budget, so following the discussion can be a bit complicated. However, here are seven points worth noting: 1) City leaders are expecting to end the fiscal year April 30 much better than they thought they would when they adopted the budget last year. The budget …
I recently had the pleasure of learning a little bit more about the PULSE leads group when Yorkville Patch partnered with them for a special presentation on getting the most out of Patch. I talked about the Patch Places business directory, posting an announcement on Patch and posting an event on our event calendar, among other things. I also got to talk a bit with Kris Kearns, who facilitates the PULSE leads group. Here are the points he highlighted: "Being part of a leads group is a great way for a person to share and receive leads for their business, which in returns helps grow each other’s…
Have you seen the finished pedestrian bridge at Yorkville's whitewater park? The waterfront there is one of my favorite spots in town, so I took advantage of Friday's warm weather to check out the island and the views. I uploaded the photographs to Yorkville Patch's neighborhood gallery, which is a relatively new feature that allows Patch readers to share photographs from the area that don't particularly fit in with a news article. You are welcome to add your own photographs. Here's how: Log in. If you have not already done so, sign up for an account on Yorkville Patch. You’ll find the “sign …
I just wanted to take a moment and thank three bloggers who were particularly active in the midst of the holiday season: Cory Poris and Jessica Stachelski took a 30-day challenge to shop locally and Sue Smith counted down the days to Christmas with 12 exercise suggestions. Poris is ringing in the new year with a new concept: a working mom's blog. Patch added a blogging platform in May hoping to bring more local voices to Patch sites nationwide. Here on Yorkville Patch, we've had a variety bloggers, from political to cooking to exercising. We're always looking for new voices and new ideas, so …
I know we're going to welcome some special babies into the world in 2012. Did you know you can share your good news with Yorkville Patch readers? It's easy. Here's how: • Log into yorkville.patch.com (The sign-up and login links are in the far upper right corner of the page.) • Under the news tab, click on announcements. Then click "Add an Announcement" at the top right of the page. • Fill in the necessary info and select "Births" from the Category drop down menu. • Then you can share with friends and family by Facebook, Twitter or e-mail. If you have any questions or problems, don't hesitate…
There are things I carry with me. Deep in the back recesses of my heart—far from recent joys and passing disappointment; far, far from family and friends and the people I hope someday will love me—sit snippets of lives I barely touched that left vast impressions on me. If someone had told me this would happen when I was in journalism school, I’m not sure I would have believed them. But it did. I don’t purposefully look into that corner often; those memories were placed there for solid reasons. But sometimes, I’ll catch a glimpse of an older man with knobby hands. Large knuckles and calluses…
You may have noticed Cobblestone Bakery & Bistro is evolving. The downtown newcomer added wine and an ever-changing assortment of cupcakes. The establishment plans to add a wine-tasting room soon. As part of that, they are pairing specialty cupcakes with wine, and Yorkville Patch wants to check it out. So, we're doing something special. We're inviting three readers to taste three pairings of cupcakes and wine at 2 p.m. Saturday and writing about it as a special Chowdown Showdown column. If you are aged 21 or older, comfortable being interviewed about cupcakes and wine and available at 2 p.m. …
One year ago today, Yorkville Patch launched. Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes (or so) ago. We came a day after Oswego Patch and a few months before Montgomery Patch—the latter which catapulted into Patch lexicon with a welcome video featuring a pouting musician named Kevin Trudo. Trudo would come to sing the news on Patch sites throughout the area, and Yorkville Patch would wander into the undefined space where community journalism, online tools and involved readers intersect. In the last year, we have posted more than 1,700 articles, more than 680 announcements and more…
The United City of Yorkville, as well as community organizations and businesses around town, are planning activities and specials this weekend for Holiday Under the Stars. Yorkville Patch is joining the fun, too. On Friday, we're partnering with Plano photographer Stephanie Kurtz and offering free photographs of children visiting with Santa. Santa Claus will be at River City Roasters from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and (if you like), we'll snap your child's or children's photo on Santa's lap and either post it on Patch or e-mail it to you next week. Of course, if you'd rather just snap your own …
