November-December 2006

Dear Neighbor:

The North Wheatland Township Homeowners Association has begun its 33rd year of providing community services to its members.  As you likely know, NWTHA members are single-family homeowners (along with a couple renters) who live in unincorporated subdivisions in the northernmost part of Will County.  A lot of associations have come and gone during that time.  But we are still here.  In fact, we’re the oldest homeowners association in Wheat-land Township, if not the entire Naperville area, which means we’re unique.

This is our last newsletter of 2006.  Therefore, as in past years, we want to be one of the first to wish you a Happy Holiday Season and a Happy New Year.  We also want to promise you that during 2006-07, we (the NWTHA officers and directors) will again strive to do our best to look out for the best interests of NWTHA members.

NWTHA officers and directors continue to be dedicated people who volunteer many hours on your behalf.  Therefore, you will be well repre-sented when any housing, transportation/health/safety, or education issues arise relating to our state, county and/or township governments or School District 204.  In addition, we will continue to offer various services and social events for children and adults, including our 32nd annual Children’s Christmas Party on Saturday, December 9 (see story on page 3).

We also publish six issues of this newsletter each year, plus our annual directory of members & area services, which you will receive in January.

Note to 2005-06 Members: If you haven’t paid your 2006-07 membership dues yet, please do so as soon as possible.  Send $12.00 – or $32.00 for non-members – (check payable to NWTHA) to Membership Chairperson Barb Angelos, 10S268 Meadow Lane, Naperville, IL 60564.  Otherwise this will be the last newsletter we can send you.  And you will not receive the new annual directory. 

2007 Directory to Include Updated Info, List of Baby Sitters

As for the annual directory, we have started to update and gather new information for the 2007 edition.  So, if you have any corrections, additions (to last year’s directory), or other suggestions that you haven’t already shared with us, please call editor Owen Wavrinek (983-6153).

NOTE: The updated directory will continue to include A LIST OF BABY SITTERS, DAY-CARE PROVIDERS, PET SITTERS, AND CHORE DOERS (SHOVELING SNOW, MOWING LAWNS, ETC.).  So, if you or any of your kids want to be included in the 2007 edition, call Owen with your child’s name or your name, address, phone number, age (except adults), and the service(s) to be offered.

Celebrate District’s Diversity at Cultural Arts Festival

The Indian Prairie School District 204 Parent Diversity Advisory Council is sponsoring the district's first Cultural Arts Festival and Multicultural Book Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 2, at Still Middle School. The event promises to be fun, informative and entertaining.
 
Intended for children and adults of all ages and cultures, the festival and
book fair will include music by student choruses, story tellers, cultural activ-ity booths, multicultural art created by district students, and "A Taste of 204."

Gingerbread Junction on Saturday, December 2

As we approach the holiday season, one tradition in District 204 is doing some early shopping at Hill Middle School, where the 26th annual Ginger-bread Junction Craft Fair will be held on Saturday, December 2, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.   This event features more than 80 crafters who will display their handcrafted items throughout the commons and gym areas. Also, breakfast and lunch will be available along with a wonderful selection of baked goods.  For more information, contact Sue Sportiello at 416-7359.

Santa, Magician to Entertain at Children’s Christmas Party

Another holiday tradition will be the NWTHA’s 32nd annual Children’s Christmas Party, which will be held 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on SATURDAY,  DECEMBER 9, at Gregory Middle School, in the commons area.  Santa will be there to see the children (aged 10 and under) and to pass out gifts.  The entertainment also will include a magic show, which will be presented again by Jelly Bean Productions.  And there will be fruit, cheese, crackers, cookies, and other refreshments.

If you can help wrap presents or assist at the party, call NWTHA Children’s Social Committee Chairperson Dee Valiga (357-5411).

Boy Scout Christmas Tree Sale

Boy Scout Troop 889 is again doing its part to lift our holiday spirits – with its 12th annual Christmas tree sale, which started on November 19 and will run through December 17 (or until the trees are gone).  The trees are being sold (cash only) in the parking lot behind Wheatland-Salem Methodist Church on the south side of 95th St., just east of Book Road – 6 to 9 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays, and 1 to 9 p.m. Sundays. You will be able to choose from 6-14-foot balsams, 7-9-foot Fraser firs and 7-8-foot Douglas firs – plus, there is a selection of wreaths and garland.  Delivery services are available for $15.

Proceeds from the sale are used by Troop 889 (now consisting of about 80 Boy Scouts) to meet a growing need for scouting supplies and to pay for summer camp.  Troop 889 is sponsored by Wheatland-Salem Methodist Church.  For more info about the sale, call Tom Anderson at 904-0189.

School Concerts Offer Holiday Music

In the District 204 community, we continue to be amazed at how talented and entertaining our high school and middle school students are each holiday season (and throughout the year).  In fact, one of the best ways to witness their talent – and get in the mood for the holidays – is to attend one of the upcoming vocal/instrumental music programs offered free by our schools.

The 8th annual Crystal Concert will be performed at both 6 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. at Neuqua Valley High School on Thursday, November 30, and Friday, December 1. The second of these holiday events – Waubonsie Valley High School’s 15th annual Prism Concert – will be presented at both 6 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. on Thursday, December 14, and Saturday, December 16, in the auditorium. For more info, contact the ticket coordinators at each school: At Neuqua, email Booster parent Sue Lein (SDBAT81@aol.com); at Waubonsie, call 375-3127 or email John_Burck@ipsd.com

In addition, Gregory Middle School’s Holiday Triptych concerts will be presented in the East Gym at 1:15 p.m. (6th grade), 6:30 p.m. (7th grade) & 8:15 p.m. (8th grade), on Thursday, December 21.  (For more info, call the school at 428-6300.)  And Scullen Middle School’s holiday concerts will be performed at 6:30 & 8 p.m. on Monday, December 11.  Call 428-7000 for more information. 

Winter Break Starting Soon

District 204’s “winter break” starts at the end of the school day on Friday, December 22.  Then it’s back to school on Monday, January 8, 2007.  So, those of you who are teachers, parents, and/or students – please enjoy every minute of your two-week vacation.  You deserve it.

Illinois-Produced Woolen Products Make Nice Gifts

With the help of a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), a unique small business is providing a shot in the arm to Illinois’ sheep industry.  A fiber arts studio and retail shop located in Big Rock, Kane County, Esther’s Place is currently promoting a new “Green Pastures Col-lection” of high-quality, Illinois-produced wool and woolen gift products (visit website at www.esthersplacefibers.com).  In addition, Esther’s Place offers weaving and spinning classes, and leases equipment to crafters 

According to USDA statistics, Illinois’ sheep/lamb flocks have decreased from 638,000 head in 1920 and a peak of one million in the 1930s and 1940s, to about 69,000 head in 2005.  However, with the help of products sold by Esther’s Place and other similar retail operations, it is hoped that the number of flocks in our state will increase. 

What’s nice is that this business venture provides us with a relatively rare opportunity to support local agriculture and buy local, made-in-America products.  We’re also fortunate in our NWTHA membership area to be able to buy locally grown produce and plants at Keller’s Farmstand, Wagner Farms, and The Growing Place (despite ongoing pressure from developers who want to buy their properties and build more homes).

Holiday Events in Naperville/Fox Valley Area

One nice thing about living in the Naperville/Fox Valley area is that there is a wide variety of holiday entertainment.  In addition to the aforementioned events at our schools, there are many, many more activities that will help  prepare you for the upcoming holiday season, including:

• Friday, November 24 (7 p.m.), Saturday, November 25 (2 and 7 p.m.), and Sunday, November 26 – The College of DuPage’s McAnanich Arts Centre presents Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, at Fawell (formerly 22nd St.) & Park Blvd., Glen Ellyn.  Tickets are $11/$10.  Call 942-4000.

• Friday, November 24 – Naperville’s begins Hometown Holidays with its Electric Lights Parade at 4:30 p.m. (starts from Centennial Beach, turns east on Jackson Ave., north on Webster St., west on Van Buren St., and south on Eagle St.).  At 5:20 p.m., Santa Claus flips the switch that turns on more than 300,000 downtown-area lights.  Then from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Santa and Mrs. Claus will visit the children on the Main Stage near the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Webster Street.  Many more fun activities are planned for this weekend.  For more info, call 544-3364 or visit the website at www.downtownnaperville.com

• Sunday, November 26 (2 p.m.) – Von Heidecke’s Chicago Festival Ballet presents The Nutcracker at the Rialto Square Theatre, 25 E. Van Buren Street, Joliet.  Tickets: $33 or $28 for adults, $19.50 for children under 12.  Call 815-726-6600.

• Sundays, November 26 and December 3, 10 & 17 – Old-fashioned Madrigal dinners from 6 to 9 p.m. at Morton Arboretum’s Gingko Restaurant.  Tickets: $50.  Call 725-2066.

• December 1 - December 22 – Visit Santa while he takes up residence    in the Santa House on the Riverwalk, at Jackson Avenue and Webster Street (near the Dandelion Fountain) in Naperville.  Fridays, 5 to 8 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, Noon to 6 p.m. Admission is free.

• Friday, December 1 – “Cup of Cheer,” the Naperville Garden Club’s 45th  annual house walk – is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (visit four seasonally decorated houses, plus a holiday gift market – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – on the second floor of North Central College’s Harold and Eva White Activities Center, 325 E. Benton Ave.)  Tickets, $30 each, cover the tour, a commemorative china cup and homemade cookies/tea.  Pro-ceeds are used for scholarships.  Call Linda at 904-3639 for more info.

• Saturdays December 2  (8 and 9:30 a.m. seatings), December 9 (9:30 a.m. only) and December 16 (9:30 a.m.) – You and your children can have Breakfast with Santa at Morton Arboretum’s Gingko Restaurant (off Route 53, Lisle).  Tickets: $19.50, members; $21.50, others.  Reservations at 725-2060.
• Tuesday, December 5 – Starting at 7:30 p.m., popular vocalist Anne Murray presents concert entitled What A Wonderful Christmas at the Rialto Square Theatre, 25 E. Van Buren Street, Joliet.  Tickets are $75/$50/$45/$35.  Call 815-726-6600.

• Tuesday, December 5 –The Paramount Arts Centre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., in Aurora is presenting Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, featuring a cast of more than 40.  There are two shows – at 9 a.m. and Noon.  Tickets are $14. Call 896-6666.

• Tuesday, December 5, and Wednesday, December 6 (both at 10:30 a.m.) – AlphaBet Soup Productions presents Babes in Toyland at North Central College’s Pfeiffer Auditorium, 310 E. Benton Ave. Tickets: $7. Call 932-1555.

• Thursday, December 7 – Special Needs Night at Santa House (on Riverwalk at Jackson & Webster) from 5 to 8 p.m.  For families with children who have special needs. Appointments are required. Please call 848-3571 to schedule time to visit Santa.

• Friday, December 8 – The popular Young Naperville Singers Christmas concert will be presented from 7 to 9 p.m. at North Central College’s Pfeiffer Auditorium, 310 E. Benton Ave.  Call 369-9679.

• Friday, December 8 – Join Marie Osmand as she celebrates The Magic of Christmas.  Show starts at 8 p.m. at the Paramount Arts Centre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora.  Tickets: $66.50 and $55.50.  Call 896-6666.

• Friday, December 8 – Kenny Logginspresents his Christmas Show,     8 p.m. at Rialto Square Theatre, 15 E. Van Buren Street , Joliet. Tickets: $78/$53/$48 and $40.50. Call 815-726-6600.

• Saturday, December 9 – Pet Day at Santa House (on Riverwalk at Jackson & Webster) from 9 to 11:30 a.m.  Bring your favorite pet for a special visit with Santa and a photo opportunity

• Saturday, December 9 – Three-time Grammy Award winner Brian Setzer and his 18-piece band present a Christmas Extravaganza at the Paramount Arts Centre, 23 E. Galena, Aurora. Tickets: $65.50, $55.50. Call 896-6666.
   
• Saturday, December 9 –The North Central College Presenting Arts Association will present Maureen Christine and Michael Bazan and their 15 piece 'big band" at Pfeiffer Auditorium, starting at 7:30 p.m. The concert, A Big Band Christmas, will feature favorite holiday selections such as "Let it Snow" and "White Christmas," along with many other holiday favorites and a couple swing hits! Also, a guest appearance by Holiday Harmonies, a Dickens-style caroling trio, will be included on the program.  Tickets are $40.  Call 637-7469.

• Sunday, December 10 – Breakfast with Santa at Santa House (on Riverwalk at Jackson & Webster).  Enjoy holiday breakfast of pancakes, sausage, eggs, etc., and be visited by Santa at your table.  First seating     9 to 10:30 a.m.  Second seating, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  $21 for adult non-residents, $18 for child nonresidents.  Registration deadline: December 6.

• Tuesday, December 12, (10 a.m.), Wednesday, December 13 (10 a.m.), Thursday, December 14 (10 a.m.), Friday, December 15    (7 p.m.), Saturday, December 16, and Sunday, December 17 (1 and    5 p.m. both days) – Dance West Ballet presents The Nutcracker at North Central College’s Pfeiffer Auditorium, 310 E. Benton, Naperville.  Tickets to performances for students (December 12-14) are $7.  Tickets for the December 15-17 public performances are $25 for adults and $18 for seniors and students.  Call 637-7469.

• Tuesday, December 12 – AlphaBet Soup Productions presents Babes in Toylandat 9:30 and 11:45 a.m. ($8.50 children, $12 adults) at the Paramount Arts Centre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. Call 896-6666.

• Friday, December 15, and Saturday, December 16 (6:30-9:30 p.m.), Sunday, December 17 (1 to 4 p.m.) –  Experience Christmas Memories through costumed characters and carolers in decorated 19th Century village at Naper Settlement.  $8 adults,  $7 seniors, $5 youth (4-17). Call 420-6010.

• Saturday, December 16 – The Salt Creek Ballet dances The Nutcracker with a cast of 65 local dancers and well-known guest artists.  Showtimes are 1 and 5 p.m. at the Paramount Arts Centre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora.  Tickets are $28 for adults, $22 for children.  Call 896-6666.

• Saturday, December 16 (1 p.m.) – New Classic Singers present A Child’s Christmas – One hour of holiday music for children ages 6 and up -- Rudolph, sugar-plum fairies, nutcrackers, harp, Santa, at College of DuPage’s McAninch Arts Center, at Fawell (formerly 22nd St.) & Park Blvd., Glen Ellyn. Tickets $8, $6. Call 942-4000.

• Sunday, December 17 – A Viennese Christmas performed by The    New Sigmund Romberg Orchestra, starting at 2 p.m. at the Rialto Square Theatre.  Tickets are $43/$33/$23. Call 815-726-6600.

• Sunday, December 17 (4 p.m.) – New Classic Singers present Family Christmas Album.  Carols new and old in this year’s program called “Homage to the Rose” – at College of DuPage’s McAninch Arts Center, at Fawell (formerly 22nd St.) & Park Blvd., Glen Ellyn. Tickets $22/$20/$12. Call 942-4000.

• Monday, December 18 (7:30 p.m.) – Concert of Christmas music by Mannheim Steamroller at the brand new 11,000-seat Sears Centre,  5333 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates.  Tickets range from $30 to $152.  Call 1-888-732-7784.

• Friday, December 22 (7 p.m.), Saturday, December 23 (2 and             7 p.m.), Tuesday, December 26 and Wednesday, December 27 (both at 2 p.m.) – Von Heidecke’s Chicago Festival Ballet presents The Nut-cracker at College of DuPage’s McAninch Arts Center, with the New Philharmonic conducted by at Fawell (form-erly 22nd Street) and Park Blvd., Glen Ellyn.  Tickets are $30/$28/$20 on Dec. 22 & 23; $26/$24/$16 on Dec. 26 & 27.  Call 942-4000.

• (TENTATIVE) Sunday, December 31 (11:30 p.m.) – Carillon recital called “Midnight Ball Drop” traditionally welcomes the New Year – at Moser Tower on Rotary Hill along Naperville’s Riverwalk.  This event is tentative this year because of construction work currently underway.  Check the newspapers or this website: www.carillon-naperville.org

Sun, HGTV Feature Home Decorations of NWTHA Attorney

Although you may have seen the page-one article and pictures in the Naperville Sun last month, you probably didn’t know that they featured the holiday home decorations of NWTHA attorney Rick Tarulis.

Rick started on a much smaller scale in 1980 at his first-ever home in Arizona.  Then, when he and his family moved to their house at 827 Morven Court in Naperville, he decided to continue with the annual effort and has been adding to it ever since.  At the present time, Rick’s home is adorned by thousands of lights and about 200 extension cords, which are connected to 30 exterior outlets and seven electrical circuits.  This year he added a custom-welded 17-foot snowman to the side of his house.

The good news was that his decorated home was one of those selected for
a special Home & Garden Television (HGTV) program.  The bad news was that the filming for the special took about 10 hours on November 2, which is about a month earlier than he usually completes decorating his home.

Township and Disposal Companies to Pick Up Christmas Trees

As in past years, the Wheatland Township Highway Department will be picking up any post-holiday Christmas trees that are not gathered by your regular disposal companies – which also should be taking them on your regular pick-up days.

Annual Picnic A Success

While the day was cloudy at first, blue skies arrived in time for the start of the picnic; the food and entertainment were good; and there were many prizes and prizewinners.  As a result, the 32nd annual NWTHA family picnic was a success, and fun was had by the more than 200 adults and kids who attended.

Thanks go to the Board members, volunteers, entertainers and vendors who helped make it a good day – from set-up to clean-up. Special thanks to Owen Wavrinek, Jean Donovan and Amy Skarr for over-seeing the picnic; to DJ Marty Nicosia for keeping us entertained with CD music and operating the sound equipment; to Skiddles the clown who filled in for our regular Buttons, who had to cancel); to talented caricature artists Angel Contreras and David Levi; and to Fred Moore, who entertained us as Grubsteak MacGregor, with tall tales, songs and many musical instruments from the old West.

Be sure to visit NWTHA website – www.nwtha.com -- for pictures (go to News That’s Hot link).

Thanks for the PRIZES!!

Very special thanks go the area businesses/individual NWTHA members who donated all the prizes that were given to picnic attendees.  And many thanks, of course, to the NWTHA officers/Board members who secured those prizes.

Among the donors were MidAmerica Bank, which donated the Moon Jump that entertained lots of kids, and NWTHA member Keith Druek, owner of Seabreeze West Construction, who contributed many bottles of water, in addition to his popular “Honey-Do-List” Grand Prize.

In total, there were 71 Grand Prizes (all valued at $75 or more), which were creatively packaged and passed out this year.  The Grand Prizes and their donors included:

• A round-trip to O’Hare or Midway Airport provided by 303 Taxi 
• Tune-up of lawn mower or 2-cycle snow blower by A & G Rental 
• Brunch for two at Allgauer’s Restaurant (in Lisle Hilton) 
• One year of household waste and recyclable pick-ups from Allied Waste Services
• Skate!  Skate!  Skate! –  12 family passes from All Seasons Ice Rink and 10 passes from Aurora (roller) Skate Rink
• 10 free games at AMF Bowling Center (Bolingbrook) and two hours of bowling for six at Brunswick Zone/Naperville
• Three $25 gift certificates to Angeli’s Restaurant
• $50 in gift certificates from Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets and       $10 gift cards from Jewel and Dominick’s Food Stores
• “Day at the Races” package for 6 (Clubhouse box seats) at Arlington Park Race Track 
• $75 in gasoline cards from BP
• $75 bicycle tune-up from Bike Line
• Round of golf for two at Bolingbrook Golf Club
• Fifteen free general admission passes to Brookfield Zoo, courtesy of Joliet Jackhammers baseball team
• Two lift tickets at Cascade Mountain in Portage, WI, plus one snow tubing rental and two adult ski lift tickets at Villa Olivia Ski Area
• $75 gift certificate at Catch 35 Restaurant in Naperville
• Two-hour private party for 10, including pizza, cake, soda at Chasers Laser Tag & Paint Ball (NWTHA members Rich/Dawn Cieslak)
• Dinner for two at Chef Amaury’s Epicurean Delight Restaurant and two bottles of wine from Café Buonaro
• Four tickets to a Chicago Rush football game in 2007
• Sports Potpourri: Two tickets to a Chicago Wolves game, a gift certificate from Play It Again Sports, and one green fee (no cart) at St. Andrews Golf & Country Club in West Chicago
• 18 holes of golf for two, with cart, at Cinder Ridge Golf Course
• Decorator’s Delight: $50 gift certificates from Colbert Custom Framing & Gallery and Roseland Home Décor, plus a private shopping party with complimentary wine and cheese for up to 11 persons at pour la Maison (French imports)
• An evening for up to nine people at Comedy, Comedy in Walter Payton’s Roundhouse in Aurora
• One weekend night stay at Country Inn & Suites in Naperville
• 18 holes of golf for four, with two carts, at Country Lakes Golf Club
• Three-month membership at Curves (Naperville locations)
• One-year subscription to Daily Herald newspaper
• “Kids” collectibles: three $25 gift certificates from Dean’s Dugout (sports cards, games), plus comic books from Graham Cracker Comics
• One night with full breakfast for two adults & two children under 12 at Doubletree Guest Suites in Downers Grove
• One-month membership at Edward Health & Fitness Centers and a gift certificate from The Running Company
• Family Fun Feast (pizza, pop, ice cream, games, rides & more) at the Enchanted Castle and four rounds of mini-golf at the Sugar Grove Family Fun Center
• Dinner for 4 at GiGi’s Restaurant from NWTHA member Don Dybas
• Two golf lessons and a dozen golf balls from Golf Galaxy
• $100 U.S. Savings Bond from Harris Bank
• A massage at Holistic Chiropractic & Healing Arts Center (from NWTHA member Kent Christianson) and a one-month membership at XSport® Fitness
• A $50 gift certificate from Hooters Restaurant and six certificates from Fuddruckers
• Four box-seat tickets to a Joliet Jackhammers game and four lawn tickets to a Kane County Cougars game (2007), plus a candy apple from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
• Eyecare services ($75) from NWTHA member Dr. Alan Knotek
• 18 holes of golf for two, with cart, at a Joliet Park District course (Inwood, Wedgewood or Woodruff)
• Two hours ($120 value) of computer consulting/troubleshooting provided by NWTHA member Stew Lambert of Lambert Technology Solutions
• One-night stay in studio or one-bedroom suite, with continental breakfast and indoor swimming privileges at Marriott TownePlace Suites
• Four $25 gift cards from French restaurant Mon Ami Gabi in Oak Brook
• Round-trip to Midway/O’Hare airports from Naperville Chauffering  
• Two weekday (M-Th) rounds of golf with carts for two at a Naperville Park District course
• Forty-week subscription to Naperville Sun
• Nautilus exercise equipment (workout mat, 2 travel exercise kits, a sauna suit, and some weights) donated by NWTHA member Gerry Chambers
• Necklace designed by NWTHA President Owen Wavrinek, plus coordinating bracelet imported from Asia and a gift certificate from The Place to Bead
• 18 holes of golf for four, with carts, at Nettle Creek Country Club
• Gift certificates for Outback Steakhouse ($45), Kerasotes Showplace Theatre ($30, courtesy of NWTHA members Laura & Darren Dooley), and Turtle Wax Car Wash
• $100 U.S. Savings Bond from Oxford Bank (83rd Street and Route 59)
• Glow Bowl bowling party for 10 (includes pizza, soft drinks, shoes and  1-1/2 hours of bowling) at Parkside Lanes
• Four yoga lessons at Peaceful Yoga (from NWTHA member Carolyn Leech) and a massage at Holistic Chiropractic & Healing Arts Center (provided by NWTHA member Kent Christianson)
• Massage/physical therapy services at Pentafil Physical Therapy & four yoga lessons at Peaceful Yoga (from NWTHA member Carolyn Leech)
• Two tickets to see comedian Steven Wright on Oct. 15 at Rialto Square Theater in Joliet and dinner for two at Traverso’s Restaurant
• A free birthday party for 8, and free skating lesson, at Rocket Ice Arena
• Three-month family membership & enrollment fee (non-members only) at Rush-Copley Healthplex and a gift certificate from the Naperville Running Company
• Up to $650 of “Honey Do” services from Seabreeze West Construction (NWTHA member Keith Druek)
• Four VIP tickets to Shedd Aquarium
• 2 hours of Spanish lessons from NWTHA Board member Tom Hayek
• Complete oil & lube service, 21-point safety inspection, tire rotation, and hand car wash at Sparks Complete Car Care
• Second Honeymoon Package: A Sybaris Inn gift certificate ($50) and a Treasure Trove of Kama Sutra products from Lovers Lane                               
• 18 holes of golf for four, with two carts, at Tamarack Golf Club
• $50 gift certificate from Tasting de Vine Cellars and a $25 certificate for dinner at Cucina Roma in Westmont
• State and federal income tax preparation by Taxing Times (NWTHA members Rick & Rachel Wion)
• Six yoga lessons at Universal Spirit Yoga with NWTHA member Carolyn Leech
• Two rounds of golf (carts not included) at Villa Olivia Country Club    in Bartlett and Pieroni’s Pizza gift certificate
• $500 in paint and collision repairs in Village Pontiac body shop
• One year of weekly household-waste and recyclable pick-up services provided by Waste Management
• $75 gift certificate for Weekenders women’s clothing (NWTHA member Martha Nicosia)
• A one-month membership at XSport® Fitness and a gift certificate from The Running Company
• $50 gift certificate from Harry W. Yaseen Jewelers and a pendant from Eye on Design
• Hair cut and style (worth $75) from Zano Salons

NOTE: Whoever won the Skate! Skate! Skate! Grand Prize, call Owen Wavrinek (983-6153), who now has All Seasons ice-skating half of prize.

Among door-prize and other donors were Anderson’s Bookshop, Angeli’s Restaurant, Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets, Applebee’s, Arbor Vitae Java & Juice, Baker’s Square (two pies), The Bangkok Village, bd’s Mongolian Barbeque, Bobak’s Sausage Company & Restaurant, Bohemian Garden Restaurant, Butterfield’s Pancake House & Restaurant, Canterbury Shoppe, Casey’s Foods, Chan’s Gourmet Chinese Restaurant, Chicago Fire, Chipotle, City Meat Market, Colonial Ice Cream, Connie’s Pizza, Cookie Cutters (kids haircuts), Cookies in Bloom, Corner Bakery/Café, Crown West Recycling & Waste, Culver’s (Route 59, Aurora), Dairy Queen, Danny’s Pub & Grill, Dean’s Clothing Store, Denny’s, East China Inn, Eatza Pizza, El Burrito Loco, Francesca’s Passaggio Restaurant, Fresh City Restaurant (Warren-ville), Fry Properties, The Growing Place (NWTHA members Carol & Rich Massatt), Harris Bank, Hollywood Casino (Epic Buffet), The Honeybaked Ham Company, Hooters, Jamba Juice, and Jimmy’s Restaurant

Also, KaBloom Florist, Keller’s Farm Stand, KT Thai Restaurant, Lantern Tavern & Grill, La Piazza, Lemon Grass Thai and Vietnamese Cuisine, Lizzie’s Garden Center and Greenhouse, Maciano’s Pizza & Pastaria, Menards, Newstar Jewelers, Noodles & Company, Oberweis Dairy, Old Country Buffet, Pancake Café, Parkside Lanes, Phil Smidt’s Restaurant (located in Hammond, Ind., but well worth the one-hour drive), Pieroni’s Pizza, Rentals Unlimited, Ritz Cameras, Rock Bottom Restaurant, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Rosati’s Pizza, Ruby Tuesday Restaurant, Sid’s Home & Garden Showplace, Spaghetti Warehouse, Springbrook Cleaners, Succulent Seafood, Thai Orchid Restaurant, Timpano Martini Bar & Chop House, Traverso’s Restaurant, Turtle Wax Car Wash, UPS Store (Hobson Plaza), Wagner Farms, Walker’s Charhouse, WBIG Radio (gift certificates for Braconi’s Rest. & Pizzeria, Connie’s Pizza, Cozymel’s Mexican Grill,  El Centro Mexican Rest., Figaro’s Pizza, Fox and Hound English Pub & Grill), Wild Bird House, Wilma’s Café, Yen Ching Chinese Restaurant, Yin’s Wok, and Zeppe’s Italian Market.

Check Expiration Date, Acknowledge Prizes

If you attended the picnic and took home a prize(s), BE SURE TO CHECK THE EXPIRATION DATE (if any) on your certificate(s).  Then, when you use it, please remember to thank or acknowledge the donor. If, for example, you use a restaurant gift certificate, ask for and thank the manager.  Each year, a few Grand Prize donors decline to give us anything because they didn’t get any response or thank-you from the previous year’s winner.

Thanks, Jean

Speaking of thank-yous, we want to extend our best wishes and many thanks to outgoing NWTHA president Jean Donovan, who has left the Board after several years of service (the last two as president).  A former president of Clow Elementary School’s PTA (who also deserves a lion’s share of the credit for the passage of the last District 204 referendum), she is the new president of the Indian Prairie Parents Council. 

Although we are going to miss Jean’s commitment to our NWTHA community, District 204 will benefit from her “kids first” sense of responsibility.  Hopefully, she will consider running for the 204 Board of Education some time in the future.

General Membership Meeting

During this year’s general meeting, five NWTHA officers and five Board members were elected (see first page of the newsletter for the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and committee assignments of the entire Board). 

Also, the 2005-06 Yearend Treasurer’s Report (below) and 2006-07 budget (see September/October newsletter) were approved.

Yearend Treasurer’s Report – 2005-06

Respectfully submitted by NWTHA Treasurer Ken Hagenbaumer on 9/24/06:

GENERAL FUND

Beginning Balance (9/01/05): $10,136.37

LEGAL FUND

Beginning Balance (9/1/05):  $12,961.40
Revenue (19 new members): 380.00
Expenditures (attorney fees): (438.75)
Interest (Legal Fund): 177.93
Ending Balance (8/31/06): $13,080.58

Be Sure to Visit NWTHA Website

We’ve posted several pictures taken at the annual picnic on our NWTHA website – www.nwtha.com  In addition, we will be adding pictures of this year’s Children’s Christmas party as soon as possible after the Dec. 9 event.  Call Owen Wavrinek (983-6153) if you see a particular picture that you would like him to send you as an e-mail attachment.

Annual Trade Show & Home Expo Sponsored
By Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation (NAHC)

Planning is well underway for the 7th annual NAHC Trade Show and Home Expo, which will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, January 27, at the Holiday Inn Select, Diehl Road and Naperville Road.  The show is free to anyone who is a member of a homeowners association that is a member of the NAHC, such as the NWTHA.

The show will include a variety of seminars of interest to homeowners and homeowners associations.  There will be many exhibitors – including roofers, landscapers, banks, insurance providers, builders, etc., as well as table vendors consisting of civic groups, not-for-profits and area businesses.  And in the hotel lobby, area restaurants will showcase some of their food items.  Also, there will be animals from A.D.O.P.T. and many prizes and drawings for merchandise.

New Grocery Stores

If all goes according to plan, there will be a net gain of one major grocery store in our area.  Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets (northwest corner of Route 59 and 111th Street) opened on November 8 – replacing Marsh Supermarkets. Grand Mart (Mercado Grande), a Washington, D.C.-based supermarket that is family-owned and specializes in ethnic foods, is scheduled to open in January at 2639 Aurora Avenue – replacing the Cub Foods Store that closed in June.  And Whole Foods Market, a natural and organic foods store, is planning a new 60,000-square-foot facility that will anchor the 23.6-acre Springbrook Prairie plaza that is being developed near Route 59 and 75th Street and Home Depot.

Brush Pick-ups, Other 2007 Dates to Remember

To get you thinking past this winter’s snow/ice/cold, here are some key  spring dates and events for the first half of 2007 – which you will want to reserve/remember on your new calendars:

• District 204’s spring break starts at the end of the school day on Friday, March 23.  Then school resumes the morning of Monday, April 2.

• Easter is on Sunday, April 8

• The Wheatland Township Highway Department has announced its 2007 schedule for brush pick-ups:  the weeks of April 16-20, May 14-18, June11-15, September 10-14, and October 15-19.

• The last day of school (tentative, depending on any snow days that must be made up) is Friday, June 7.

If You Are Moving or Have New Neighbors, CALL DAN

If you are planning to move, just sold your house, or notice a “For Sale” or “Sold” sign in your neighborhood, call Dan Firks (637-9009), who is our Welcoming Committee chairperson.

Newsletter, Directory Ad Rates

If you want to advertise in our newsletter’s inside pages on an issue-by-issue basis (with copy changes allowed in each issue), a full-page display ad costs $50; a ½-page ad is $25; and a ¼-page ad is $12.50 – all for one-time place­ments.  For all six issues, multiply these rates by six --$300, $150, and $75 respectively (there’s no discount because the rates already are very low). Or, you can place a classified ad for the bar­gain price of $1.00 for the first 10 words, plus 5 cents for each word thereafter (no charge for your phone #).

If you want your display ad to be part of the newsletter’s cover, it can’t be changed during the course of the year – because all the covers are printed in advance in January.  If this is okay and you want a cover ad, the time to say so is NOW – however, keep in mind that current advertisers have the right of first refusal.  (In other words, when someone cancels at the end of the current year, cover and inside ad space opens up.)  The rates for the cover are $450 for a full-page ad, $225 for a ½-page ad, and $112.50 for a ¼-page ad.

If you would like to run a display ad in the annual directory, cover ads cost $300 for a full page, $150 for a ½-page, and $75 for a ¼-page.  Ads that appear in the directory’s last eight inside pages are a little less: $250 for a full page, $125 for a ½-page, and $62.50 for a ¼-page.  And, as with the news-letter, current advertisers have the right of first refusal.

If you’re a new advertiser, the next step in placing a newsletter or directory ad is to call new Advertising Committee Chair Lori Klemm at 983-5451.  However, if you are a current advertiser, Lori will be calling you very soon about renewing/revising your ad(s) for 2007.