Politicians Get to Vote

Politicians get to vote, but Executive Directors and Village Administrators, like Phil Pagano and Dave Morrison, get to do the work. Dave Morrison (on the left) has done a great job managing the Metra project for Elburn.

I'd say he's my right-hand man, but I'm left-handed. I wouldn't want to be mayor without Dave on my team. You do a great job, Dave. Congratulations!

He Believed in "Our" Dreams

Phil Pagano is the outstanding Executive Director of Metra. Phil has always taken a personal interest in our village. When Phil speaks, things start happening.

Elburn will always be indebted to wonderful man who believed in "our" dreams.

Senator Lauzen Checks In

Illinois Senator Chris Lauzen has always been a friend to Elburn. Way back when, Chris was the Battalion Commander for his Marmion Academy ROTC unit. You have to be an outstanding young leader to earn that gig.

I wish I understood why Sen. Lauzen sponsored SB 2933. In order to appease a few Campton Hills "zealots," he's really got the rest of us in central Kane County "scratching our heads." Chris don't help the "tail wag the dog" in Campton Hills. And, don't think for one second that this is all about Elgin. This issue is about way more than just Elgin.

Elburn Trustees Enjoy a Metra Pose

Elburn's trustees are noticably proud of the Elburn coachyard and ceremonial engine. I was told that Metra Engine 162 will be renamed the "Village of Elburn" very soon.

We looked all over for Trustees Craig Swan and Jeff Humm. They were both at the ceremony, but obviously missed out on the photo opportunity.

We'll just have to get dressed up again, and go out on a sunny day for group hug when the new "Village of Elburn" lettering arrives.

Elburn Well Wishers Greet the Speaker

After the ceremony Speaker Hastert stayed a while to greet well wishers from Elburn. Here Elburn trustee Gordon Dierschow gets his chance to greet the speaker.

Speaker Hastert Explains It All

US House Speaker Dennis Hastert addresses the standing room only crowd at Elburn Village Hall.

Metra Chairman Jeff Ladd looks on intently, probably dreaming of another New Start Project in the Chicagoland area that needs some critical funding from Washington DC.

Just kidding, Chairman Ladd.

Warming Up in the Bullpen

Our ceremonial train warms up in the Elburn coachyard. It won't be long now until the all the Metra officials, dignitaries, politicians and press arrive in Elburn. It's going to be a great day for Elburn!

Still Plenty of Parking

At 4:40 am there was still plenty of parking available at the Elburn Metra Station. It looks like past Village President Mike Stoffa is counting the spaces already.

Several people remarked that the car headlights coming in on the access road reminded them of the movie "Field of Dreams."

I'd say we have more than a few transit oriented dreams for those fields around Metra.

Which Way to Chicago?

I hope the Metra engineer isn't asking for directions to the Olgilvie Transportation Center. I'd say head for the sunrise, if you can find it.

Say Cheese!

Village Trustee Bill Grabarek and I snap pictures simultaneously, while Ivanka Grabarek and Darlene Marcusson share a laugh.

First Train Out!

What a nice surprise? Village photographer Mary Herra and I got to ride the 4:48 am first train out of Elburn. We just took it to Geneva, and then hitched a ride back to Elburn.

We weren't planning to do that, but it worked out nicely. Here are a few the inaugural riders that shared a first ride with us. That's Norm Berquist hiding under the brim of his hat.

Five Little Engines That Could

Five Metra engines apparently headed the wrong way await their inaugural runs from Elburn to Chicago. The new Metra service begins tomorrow morning from Elburn and LaFox.

This brings a 48-year passenger train hiatus to an end in western Kane County.

"Ding"

"Elburn, you are now free to fly into Chicago on Metra."

All Aboard!!!

The Metra "ceremonial" UP West Line Inaugural train is plugged in and waiting for tomorrow's festivities at the Elburn coachyard. Get ready, because we will sure take hundreds of pictures of this "bad boy" then.

Tomorrow, I plan on grabbing my D50 and heading out to meet and greet the 4:48 am commuters. I don't think I'll be riding because there is just too much to do back at the village to get ready for the 11:00 am ceremony. I will try to post a picture of the first train out of town on the mayor's blog as soon as I can.

One thing is sure. Tomorrow is sixteen years in the making. Let's enjoy bringing passenger train service "back" to Elburn. All aboard!!!

And It Comes Out Here...

Last Tuesday night, Steve Anderson of Water Remediation Technologies (WRT) presented a tour of our trace radium removal facility at Well #4 for members of the Elburn Village Board, and the press. The facility itself is as impressive, as it is simple.

Basically, municipal well water at 1000 gallons per minute filters through a giant vertical zeolite filled cylinder that captures and absorbs the infinitesimal levels of radium and barium from the water. This leaves the water itself unchanged, yet purified from the process. As part of its lease agreement with the village, employees from WRT will manage the spent media for us. Eventually, once contaminated, it will be removed and stored in a federally approved low level waste facility.

This may sound like overkill, but remember that radium removed from public water supplies with the ion exchange method or the lime softening method is simply released into our streams and rivers or tilled into our farm fields.

Frankly, if the Federal government says that trace levels of radium is too dangerous to drink, then what are we doing spewing that same level of radium all over the environment?

The lime softening method was estimated to cost over $14 million for Elburn to implement. Ion exchange would have cost us over $7 million. The WRT zeolite process cost Elburn less than $2 million to implement, and thanks to a $500,000 grant obtained on our behalf by Speaker Dennis Hastert, we were able to fund the capital costs of this project with no loans.

Our radium removal facilities at Well #3 and Well #4 have passed their bacteriological tests. We are adjusting each of the units, and they should both be online soon. The radium removal unit for Well #5 at Blackberry Creek is being installed by the developer, and it too, should be completed by midyear. With a little luck, by August, 2006, this entire issue of trace levels of radium in our water will be a distant memory.

Of all of the issues I have faced as mayor, I believe this one was the most difficult. I didn't know how we were going to solve this mandate without making our municipal water rates increase exponentially. I am so proud of our village board and engineers, and their willingness to drop everything to evaluate a new technology. The savings for all of us are substantial today, and will continue far into the future.

Chief Linane Sworn In

Tonight, Elburn Police Chief Jim Linane was sworn in as the President of the Kane County Chiefs of Police Association. Jim is the first police chief from Elburn to be elected to this position.

During Chief Linane's acceptance speech, he emphasized the power of professionalism within our police departments.

Jim has done an outstanding job coming to Elburn from Carol Stream where he served for many years. He has truly transformed our department into a model for "excellence" within our community.

Chief Linane is the kind of leader who anticipates problems before they happen. For his outstanding efforts representing our village, I am always quite thankful and proud.

Choose Your Goal!

In 2006, the Village of Elburn will be shooting at many new and exciting goals. Here is a "priorities list" of the important projects we will be working on this year:

1. Continue Waste Water Treatment Plant repairs focusing on numerous deferred maintenance issues.
2. Utilize additional leased space at American Legion Hall, and continue village space needs analysis.
3. Work with UP, ICC, IDOT and Metra to establish Elburn quiet zone.
4. Continue to work with our municipal neighbors interested in negotiating boundary agreements.
5. Work with US Census Bureau to complete special census.
6. Complete build out of Elburn Metra station.
7. Complete Vulnerability Study, and begin Emergency Action Planning process.
8. Complete SCADA evaluation study.
9. Begin Waste Water Treatment Plant expansion study, possibly with village funds that will be recaptured later.
10. Complete Well #5 radium removal facility.
11. Begin Phase I Metra pedestrian overpass study, hopefully after obtaining Kane County Small Cities Grant.
12. Supervise construction of Elburn Jewel Foods Store #3347, anticipating opening prior to Thankgiving, 2006.
13. Begin rewrite of Village Personnel Manual.
14. Compete Elburn Police Department Policy and Procedures Manual.
15. Complete Phase III of Sidewalk Repair and Replacement Program.
16. Consider a Motor Fuel Tax funded street repair project, possibly reconstructing N. First Street with sidewalks, curb gutter and stormwater improvements.
17. Consider updating and rewriting village website.
18. Consider applying for CMAQ grant to fund construction of bicycle shelter and locker facilities at new Metra station.
19. Complete two new baseball fields in Blackberry Creek.
20. Continue to work on concept and preliminary plans with Kirk Homes and Shodeen Development.

They say that writing your goals down on paper increases your efficiency in reaching those goals by 80%. I truly hope that is the case because we certainly have many significant goals to accomplish in 2006.

First Commuter Train Spotted in Elburn

The first commuter train that I am aware of was spotted today in the Elburn coachyard. Evidently, several Metra employees and their families were shuttled out to Elburn to take a look at the new yard and its facilities.

It is going to be quite a sight when the entire yard is full of shining silver coaches. Let's hope they don't start them all up at the same time.

It Won't Be Long Now

It felt like spring tonight, so I grabbed my D50 and tripod after dinner, and went out to grab a few shots of the Elburn Metra coachyard. It struck me that once the coachyard is filled up with commuter trains, we won't be seeing it empty like this for a long, long time.

A reporter asked me today about Metra coming to Elburn and how exciting this all must be. Actually, after all the planning and the passage of time, it seems almost anti-climactic.

Several names are mentioned in the 1990 executive session minutes of the very first Metra meeting in Elburn. We are trying to make sure that each of them is invited to our opening ceremony on the 23rd.

Some of the people in attendance that visionary night included: John Hicks, Francis James, Carl Ekstrom, Diane Hogan, Nick Keeler, Walt Tupy, Jan Docherty, John Peterson, Dean Capes, and the late Leroy Matteson.

Be careful what you wish for folks, because you just might get it. And, Metra in Elburn is a 16-year dream come true.

FLASH! ELBURN METRA NEWS UPDATE!

The new Metra/Union Pacific West Line train schedules are available on the web at Metra's New Start website.

The first train scheduled out of Elburn leaves for Chicago (Olgilvie) at 4:48 am on Monday, January 23rd, 2006. It arrives in Chicago (Olgilvie) at 6:10 am.

The morning express run leaves Elburn at 6:24 am arriving at Chicago (Olgilvie) at 7:35 am for a total ride time of 71 minutes.

The evening express leaves Chicago (Olgilvie) at 5:04 pm arriving in Elburn at 6:14 pm for a total ride time of 70 minutes.

A typical all-stops "milk" run is an 82 minute ride each way.

The non-rush hour trains leave from Elburn for Chicago at 25 minutes after the hour. The non-rush hour trains leave Chicago for Elburn at 40 minutes after the hour, unchanged from the current operation.

For those seeking to ride the first trains in and out of Elburn for fun, they can take the 4:48 am train to Oak Park arriving at 5:51 am, and then return on the first train back to Elburn from Oak Park catching the 6:09 am train arriving back in Elburn at 7:21 am. I am not suggesting anyone do that, but according to the newly released schedules, it could be done.

One-way fares from Elburn to Chicago will be $5.33 for the balance of January, and then increase to $5.55 on February 1st, when the new Metra fares are implemented. These fares place Elburn in Zone I, one zone further west than Geneva.

The last train of the weekdays leaves Chicago (Olgilvie) at 11:40 pm arriving back in Elburn at 1:06 am.

Then all the Metra commuter trains "sleep" in the Elburn coachyard, until it's time to begin their round trips to Chicago again.