Category: Tech

Donna Crane

On seeking solutions in the U.S. recycling crisis

First of three parts Adele Peterson has submitted the following article regarding news concerning recycling. “You may have read that there’s a recycling crisis in the U.S.. After years of accepting our used plastic and cardboard, China now won’t take it, which often means there is no place for it...

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First Call

White wooden crosses at Pierce Center

The five white wooden crosses memorializing the victims of the workplace shooting at the Henry Pratt Company in Aurora Friday, Feb. 15 are on display at the Pierce Art and History Center, 20 East Downer Place, Aurora, through May 4. The crosses were given to the Aurora Historical Society to...

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Particle accelerator project under way at Fermilab

Particle accelerator project under way at Fermilab

With a ceremony held Friday, March 15, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory officially broke ground on a major, new, particle accelerator project that will power cutting-edge physics experiments for many decades. The new 700-foot-long linear accelerator, part of the laboratory’s Proton Improvement Plan II (PIP-II),...

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Governor Pritzker reveals graduated income tax structure

By Jerry Nowicki  –  Passage of a statewide graduated income tax structure isn’t possible until after November 2020, but Democratic Party governor J.B. Pritzker continued to stump for such a proposal Tuesday this week, and announced the launch of an online “fair tax calculator” at a Chicago news conference. Per...

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An Aurora Public Library customer uses a VR headset. Teen Tech Week Tech-A-Palooza will be Saturday, March 9. Submitted photo

Teen Tech Week: Tech-A-Palooza Saturday, March 9 at Aurora Public Library

By Miriam Meza –  With the rapid growth in technology it’s hard to keep up with what’s new, how to use it, and whether or not it’s worth buying. At the Aurora Public Library, we want to provide our customers with the opportunity to express creativity through different media, including...

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Digital design teacher Batavia Library artist

The Batavia Public Library’s artist for March is Robert J. Krawczyk, a native of Chicago, who lives in Batavia. He was a graduate from the University of Illinois Chicago, College of Architecture. In the 1970s, while working in the architectural office of Murphy/Jahn in Chicago he was a pioneer in...

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User-friendly upgrades for Park District’s new website

The Fox Valley Park District recently announced the release of its new website, a sleek, mobile-friendly design dedicated to enhancing the visitor’s experience. The new site, which contains the same web address, www.foxvalleyparkdistrict.org, as its predecessor, features several user-friendly upgrades, including a mobile-optimized design that allows for easy swiping and...

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Michael Pegues, chief information officer for the city of Aurora government, expresses the need to establish a Smart City Advisory Council at the Aurora City Council meeting Tuesday. City officials hope to utilize a strategic plan for technology. The plan can be viewed at SmartAurora.com.

A push to establish a city of Aurora government Smart City Advisory Council

Michael Pegues, chief information officer for the city of Aurora government, expresses the need to establish a Smart City Advisory Council at the Aurora City Council meeting Tuesday. City officials hope to utilize a strategic plan for technology. The plan can be viewed at SmartAurora.com. Unanimously approved were three agreements...

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Kiwanis Club of Aurora members receive the Aurora Public Library Foundation Lifelong Learning Inspiration Award at a recent event at Santori Public Library of Aurora. From left, Kiwanis members Larry Frieders, Jack Hienton, Amy Roth, and Kim Groom.

Big hearts, generous volunteers, donors help Aurora Public Library Foundation

By Miriam Meza –  Valentine’s Day is not just roses, cards, and yummy chocolate. It is about expressing love and appreciation to those around you. When you think of Valentine’s Day, hearts may come to mind. For Aurora Public Library Foundation (APLF), big-hearted individuals are what comes to mind. Generous...

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Donna Crane

Consumer prey to shady branding, marketing, on phones

Michael Grothaus contributed the following article online for FastCompany regarding his view of AT&T’s misleading “5G E icon” which soon will be iPhones. “After Apple released the latest beta of iOS 12.2 to developers, some users noticed something strange. It seemed as if their iPhones suddenly had gained 5G capabilities....

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Digital safety seminar Feb. 21

To equip residents with information about how to use technology safely, State representative Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, will be host to a digital safety seminar at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21 at the Eola Road Branch of the Aurora Library, at 555 S. Eola Road in Aurora. For more information or...

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At Risk Mobile Lab: Grand opening of the At Risk Mentoring Mobile Computer Lab with a ribbon-cutting at the Community Center on Monomoy Street in Aurora draws a crowd. Aurora alderman Mike Saville and David Smith president of At Risk Mentoring cut the ribbon. Saville assisted with the acquisition of 13 computers with a grant of $3,500 from his Sixth Ward fund. The computers will bring free education from the Khan Academy to the youth who need help with their homework and studies. Carlise Welton photo

At Risk Mentoring Mobile Computer Lab in Aurora grand opening

Grand opening of the At Risk Mentoring Mobile Computer Lab with a ribbon-cutting at the Community Center on Monomoy Street in Aurora draws a crowd. Aurora alderman Mike Saville and David Smith president of At Risk Mentoring cut the ribbon. Saville assisted with the acquisition of 13 computers with a...

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Kiwanis Club of Aurora member Amy Roth, left, hands a Kiwanis coffee mug to Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman at the Kiwanis Club meeting Tuesday at the Prisco Center in Aurora. Chief Ziman shared this year’s Police Department initiatives. Aurora has the second largest municipal police department with a budget of $73 Million and has 301 sworn officers, an increase from 289 recently, including four police dogs, 73 full-time non-sworn officers in telecommunications, booking, and records, and 33 part-time non-sworn employees. Chief Ziman said work is in focus to address a slight increase in violent part 1 crimes, although shootings are down by 19%. Shooting numbers include property and are not just individuals struck. Aurora had zero homicides in 2012 and four homicides in 2018. She said in a city the size of Aurora, it’s well below the national average. Progress in 2018 included the addition of a Critical Incident Intel Center, reduction in time and cost of DUI prosecution, addition of a drone team, partnership with National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, which reads a bullet shell casing and recently was linked to eight shootings after confiscation of a gun. Partnership with RING doorbell systems for video of crimes has been added. Last year there were only five excessive-force complaints against officers with two sustained. Chief Ziman said the goals for this year remain the same, to reduce violent crime and community engagement. Right is Kiwanis president Kim Groom, a retired Aurora police officer, and president of Kiwanis Club of Aurora. Chief of Police Ziman, right photo, stands with her former West Aurora High School guidance counselor Archie Needham (retired). Jason Crane/The Voice

Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman “Mugged” by Kiwanis Club of Aurora after presenting Police Department initiatives

Kiwanis Club of Aurora member Amy Roth, left, hands a Kiwanis coffee mug to Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman at the Kiwanis Club meeting Tuesday at the Prisco Center in Aurora. Chief Ziman shared this year’s Police Department initiatives. Aurora has the second largest municipal police department with a budget...

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Dan Palace, external investment consultant from Allianz Global Investors shares information Monday with the Rotary Club of Aurora members about water scarcity and sustainable investing. Palace said the increase in water insecurity will drive up the need for investment in smart water technology. An estimated 2 trillion gallons of water leaks from broken pipes in the U. S. each year. Jason Crane/The Voice

Increase in water insecurity will drive up the need for investment in smart water technology

Dan Palace, external investment consultant from Allianz Global Investors shares information Monday with the Rotary Club of Aurora members about water scarcity and sustainable investing. Palace said the increase in water insecurity will drive up the need for investment in smart water technology. An estimated 2 trillion gallons of water...

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Montgomery Village attorney Steve Andersson, left, explains the legal aspect to Board members, including Village president Matt Brolley before a vote to amend the Village zoning ordinance regarding gas and petroleum manufacturing at the Montgomery Village Board meeting Monday. Two weeks prior, petitioners for a proposed $40 Million pyrolysis facility said the plant would help recycle scrap tires using a thermal distillation process by converting tire chips into carbon powder and liquid fuel under a vacuum seal and airlock. After research and discussion, trustees Denny Lee, Doug Marecek, and Theresa Sperling voted 3-1 against the amendment. They agreed while the technology is in use in Germany their concerns are for the references given by the interested entity and safety concerns for the residents and Aurora University’s $20 Million athletic facility next door to the proposed location. Trustee Steve Jungermann voted in favor. He said the facility would create jobs and petitioners weren’t given a fair shot. Jason Crane/The Voice

Montgomery Village Board votes 3-1 against proposed $40 Million pyrolysis facility

Montgomery Village attorney Steve Andersson, left, explains the legal aspect to Board members, including Village president Matt Brolley before a vote to amend the Village zoning ordinance regarding gas and petroleum manufacturing at the Montgomery Village Board meeting Monday. Two weeks prior, petitioners for a proposed $40 Million pyrolysis facility...

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Illinois rates second best in U.S. for electric grid leadership

For the third year in a row, Illinois has received the second best ranking among all states for its leadership in moving toward a modernized electric grid, according to Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) chairman Brien J. Sheahan. Gridwise Alliance in collaboration with Clean Edge Incorporated recently released the results of...

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Jason Pikscher, Broadway technical director for the Paramount Theatre in Aurora shares some behind-the-scenes information Monday with the Rotary Club of Aurora, at Two Brothers Roundhouse. It is generally accepted, one of the many reasons the Paramount Theatre Broadway Series has been successful is the teamwork behind the scenes to bring amazing sets. He said approximately 95% of the sets are built by their crew. To put the size of the sets into perspective, a normal set for the Paramount would fill two to three semi-trailers. His favorite set was for the play Les Miserables because of the unique engineering challenge. His least favorite, and most problematic set was for Grease. The most complex set was for Mary Poppins because of the illusions. Jason Crane/The Voice

Behind-the-scenes perspective of the Paramount Theatre in Aurora

Jason Pikscher, Broadway technical director for the Paramount Theatre in Aurora shares some behind-the-scenes information Monday with the Rotary Club of Aurora, at Two Brothers Roundhouse. It is generally accepted, one of the many reasons the Paramount Theatre Broadway Series has been successful is the teamwork behind the scenes to...

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Arlene Hawks, executive director of SciTech Hands On Museum in Aurora, shares plans with members of the Kiwanis Club of Aurora, Tuesday at the Prisco Center in Aurora. The museum in downtown Aurora with approximately 200 hands-on exhibits, recently celebrated 30 years of educating students of all ages. Founding director Ernest Malamud, a Fermilab physicist, envisioned an inspiring space to introduce people of all ages to science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Hawks, a former teacher and theater director at East Aurora High School, hopes partnerships and funding from Fox Valley businesses and organizations will continue to help the Museum develop fresh, interactive STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) exhibits. She was happy to report the museum traffic has increased by 40%.

SciTech Hands On Museum in Aurora recently celebrated 30 years of educating students

Arlene Hawks, executive director of SciTech Hands On Museum in Aurora, shares plans with members of the Kiwanis Club of Aurora, Tuesday at the Prisco Center in Aurora. The museum in downtown Aurora with approximately 200 hands-on exhibits, recently celebrated 30 years of educating students of all ages. Founding director...

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Heroic efforts receive rewards in Aurora

By Jason Crane –  Mayor of Aurora, Richard Irvin and Council members honored city of Aurora government employees for recent achievements. Aurora Police officer Skyy Calice was honored for going above and beyond to inspire young ladies in the Aurora community. She founded her own mentor programs for young women...

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Mike Mainthow Representative from Smart City Media at Aurora City Hall 10-22-18

Discussions held on interactive outdoor kiosks in downtown Aurora

Questions about interactive outdoor kiosks in downtown Aurora are answered by Mike Mainthow, representative from Smart City Media, right, Monday, Oct. 22 at Aurora City Hall. This was the first of three open houses the city government plans to hold with representatives of Smart City Media to get the facts...

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