The Darien Youth Club 9-10-year-old Mustang Blue All-Stars defeated the Woodridge All-Stars 12-5 at Eisenhower Junior High in Darien July 2.  Coach Vince Raso said the key to the win was that the team’s pitching was really good. Darien used seven different pitchers during the game. The Darien Blue All-Stars defeated the Darien Red All-Stars the previous Friday to advance to the game against Woodridge.

Local lawmakers applauded Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday for signing off on legislation to abolish the state's scandal-ridden legislative scholarship program.

The adoption of House Bill 3810 ends 100 years of legislators being able to award deserving or undeserving college students with annual scholarships to state universities, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The controversial program came under fire in recent years after legislators began misusing it, awarding scholarships to children of legislative employees and campaign donors instead of students in need of financial aid.

“There is no place for political scholarships in Illinois,” Quinn told NBC Chicago. “I believe in the power of education, the importance of ethics and integrity, and the idea that you can get ahead in life with a little hard work."

Under the new law, members of the Illinois General Assembly can no longer award scholarships after Sept. 1. Students nominated for the program for the 2012-13 school year will still receive the scholarships, according to NBC Chicago.

Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont), one of the bill's co-sponsors, released a statement Wednesday applauding Quinn for abolishing the program.

“At a time when the state is looking to cut costs and show we are serious about cracking down on impropriety, eliminating this oft-abused program was the obvious next step,” said Radogno, who voluntarily opted out of the legislative scholarship program years ago.

House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) also applauded the legislation.

“Over the last couple of years, the Illinois House has voted to eliminate the program. Finally, the bill has made it through the Senate and onto the Governor’s desk for signature today,” Cross said in statement. “Because of the abuses of some lawmakers, the program became tainted.”

According to Cross, the new law will also create the Tuition and Fee Waiver Task Force to conduct a thorough review and evaluation of the tuition and fee waiver programs offered by public institutions of higher education. The task force will be required to submit a report of its findings by April 15, 2013.

Animal lovers will find a creative and fun way to donate to their favorite cause this Sunday by attending the wedding of Rue and Litro at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton.

But this wedding will be far from traditional.

Rather than nibbling on fancy hors d’oeurves and sipping champagne from crystal goblets, the newlyweds will likely be chomping on Milkbones and slurping water from a bowl.

Rue, 2-1/2, and her groom-to-be Litro, 4-1/2, are rescued Siberian Huskies who live with Kevin Glowicki, owner of Simply Sound Wedding DJs and More, a company that designs and plans weddings and events throughout the Chicago area.

A couple of months ago, Glowicki began brainstorming ways to raise money to help animal rescue organizations. Pairing his love of dogs with his expertise as a wedding planner, he was struck with an attention-grabbing way to accomplish the goal: “Rue and Litro, A Dog Wedding & Dog Rescue Fundraiser.”

The event, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 15, at the DuPage County Fairgrounds at 2015 Manchester Road, Wheaton, will feature representatives of animal rescue organizations as well as adoptable dogs; service dogs, Frisbee-catching and dancing dogs, K9 demonstrations, cutest and ugliest dog contests, dog games and a fenced dog-play area.

The dog-friendly fundraiser, from which $5 of each $8 admission fee will be divided among participating animal rescue groups, will also include plenty of activities for humans, including wedding and food vendors, raffles and prizes, a live DJ, events for kids, guest speakers, representatives from local canine-related businesses, a photo booth and even an artist to draw portraits of men’s and women’s best friends.

Glowicki said that among the raffle prizes available, organizers have put together a wedding package for a lucky couple who attends the fundraiser. The prize includes a free standard wedding DJ package from Simply Sound, a free movie trailer poster from Chicago Cinematic Weddings, free engagement shoot from Jolie Images and a discount from Rent-A-Rev Jim Rehnberg, who will officiate the canine ceremony on Sunday.

But food and Frisbee-catching, photos and prizes aside, the main event of the day will be, paws down, the wedding of Rue and Litro, scheduled for noon on Sunday.

Glowicki said about two months ago while watching a late-night movie at home, he was spurred to action by his furry friends.

“I happened to look over at my two Huskies … Rue had her paw on top of Litro’s, and she was licking his face,” Glowicki said. “When she was done she put her head on top of both paws and Litro moved his nose over so it would touch hers. You have to know my dogs to know that they are in love, I think. From that moment, I said, ‘I am getting you both married.’ ”

Inspired by his pets, Glowicki and fellow organizers came up with the slogan, “Two Paws United to Save Others” for Sunday’s wedding/fundraising event to benefit animal rescue organizations.

Glowicki has a special place in his heart for dogs in need of rescue, as both Rue and Litro were saved from precarious circumstances.

“Litro was rescued from Orphans of the Storm,” Glowicki said. “He was severely abused and neglected from his previous owner and now is the biggest baby ever. He loves kids … (and) has to meet every kid he sees.”

The dog lover said Rue, who was born in a puppy mill and originally sold at a pet store, was rescued from a family who simply had no time for her. Glowicki found Rue on Craigslist in the fish tank section with a “free to good home” caption, which caused him concern and prompted him to immediately call the number listed in the ad.

“When I met Rue she was extremely intelligent and you could tell she needed attention and had an eagerness to learn and be led,” Glowicki said. “They are both amazing dogs … I made a great choice with both of them.”

In a nutshell:

• What: Rue and Litro: a Dog Wedding & Rescue Fundraiser
• When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 15; Rue and Litro’s wedding will take place at noon.
• Where: DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 Manchester Road, Wheaton
• Who’s invited: Singles, couples, families and well-behaved dogs
• What it costs: $8 per person; $5 of each admission price will benefit participating rescue groups. Parking is free.
• Where to get more information: www.simplysounddj.com or click on the "Save the Date" image above.

My husband knows that my version of Feng Shui includes moving impossibly large objects around the house like chess pieces. I always claim it’s to create more harmony in the house, but really I’m just bored and looking for something to do.

The only thing I haven’t tried to move is our grand piano. Let me rephrase that: The only thing I did not succeed at moving by myself was the grand piano. As soon as I figure out how to flip it on its side without the lid opening, it’s gone.

A few weeks ago I was up to my usual tricks when I found myself in an unusual situation.

I was moving a small bookcase end-over-end up my stairs when mid-flight I got stuck. By stuck I mean I had the heavy object perched at a 45-degree angle, with no means of moving forward or backward. As is typical of a Saturday afternoon, each member of my family was either out, wearing headphones or zombified by electronic media. Not one member of my family heard my high-pitched yelp for help.

The situation deteriorated as I held my shaky arms up over my head, both surrendering and succumbing to the bookcase which by good fortune I had enough sense to empty. (It could’ve gone either way.)

After reality set in, I decided to heave the furniture, leveraging a Valsalva maneuver that both strengthened me and unblocked my Eustachian tubes.

I hurled the book case up and away from me like a monolithic shot put. Mid-push, I lost my bearings and barely caught my balance.

Finally at the top of the stairs, I visualized the “almost me” at the bottom of the stairs under a heap of cheap laminate. “That was close!” I thought, followed by, “What in tarnation was I thinking?” and “What the heck does tarnation mean?”

The answer is, I was thinking that if I didn’t hoist that book case upstairs by myself it wouldn’t get done at all. I was thinking that later is really now, because now is now, and later never happens.

I was trying to avoid what I call procrastagnation: putting things off which results in a lack of forward motion.

What I learned was that sometimes pushing too hard can result in losing more than a little forward motion. What I earned was four weeks of excruciating back pain and bed rest. “Later” became unavoidable; very little can be accomplished while wrapped in a heating pad and covered in Eau de Biofreeze.

Somewhere between the first and second floor I lost a little piece of my soul.  I hope the cleaning lady didn’t suck it up in the vacuum. I’ll need all the help I can get to move the piano.

For many, the word heroin conjures up an image of a tattered, homeless junkie lying on a needle-strewn sidewalk in the inner city.

But experts say that over the past few years, that image is changing, as heroin is becoming the drug of choice for many suburban teens who don’t recognize the stigma – or the harm – associated with the dangerous narcotic.

And authorities say Darien, as well as other communities throughout DuPage County, has been seeing an increase in heroin use among teens.

To alert the public to the growing problem of teen heroin use in suburban Chicago, U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert will host a free heroin education and prevention forum from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, July 16, at North Central College’s Wentz Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville.

The forum will feature presentations by representatives of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Robert Crown Center for Health Education and the Center for Compulsive Behavior and Addiction at Rush University Medical Center.

Monday’s event will also feature personal narratives, including a presentation by John Roberts, who lost of his son to a heroin overdose. Following the tragedy, Roberts launched a local non-profit, Heroin Epidemic Relief Organization (HERO), which provides families with prevention, intervention and support services. Bill Patrianakos, a recovering heroin addict who serves on the board of HERO, will also share his own story of recovery.

“Heroin use among kids has taken an alarming turn, and for many parents, it’s not a drug we’re used to watching out for,” said Biggert in a press release promoting the forum. “One drug-related death is one too many. And experts agree that the most important weapon we have in this battle is prevention.”

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin, who will join law enforcement and health care professionals at the forum, shares Biggert’s concern about the increase in heroin use among teens.

“According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2011, more than 90,000 people over the age of 12 tried heroin for the first time,” Berlin said. “It would be incredibly naïve of us to think that none of those 90,000 first-time users live in our communities. Only through education can we prevent our children from becoming one of those 90,000 first-time users.”

Heroin use hits close to home

Darien Chief of Police Ernest Brown said the city has recently experienced two fatal overdoses and “a number of” non-fatal overdoses.

“What is critical to note is that in the world of risk management, it is those non fatal or un-reported near-misses that really foretell the underlying extent or scope of the problem,” Brown said. “Since heroin use seems to be on the rise among adults, it is a natural extension to see a rise in its use among young people.”

Brown said that although local police have not established a definitive set of factors to explain heroin’s rise in popularity among young people, the very nature of the drug may lend to its increased use.

The chief lists the following factors that may contribute to the increasing heroin use by area teens:

• Ease of concealment
• Multiple methods of use as opposed to other drugs
• Potential use in conjunction with lacing or simultaneous use with other drugs
• Not easily detected
• Expense (cost)

But, Brown warned, there are some inherent dangers in heroin use that should outweigh the factors listed above, such as:

• The drug is frequently “cut” with unknown agents, such as fentanyl
• Heroin becomes debilitating over time
• The drug is physiologically addictive
• Varying strengths of the drug can cause overdose

Parents who worry their teen may be using heroin should be on the lookout for the following trouble signs, Brown said:

• Changes in behavior
• Disregard for social activities or friends that they previously regarded highly
• Falling grades
• Disinterest in appearances
• Overly secretive
• Changes in eating or dietary habits

Although parents who recognize these so-called trouble signs in their sons and daughters may simply be witnessing fairly typical teen behavior, Brown recommends that parents take a few extra precautions to be sure their kids are not using illicit drugs.

“The best way to know is to monitor,” said Brown. “Monitor friends, monitor emails, monitor comings and goings, search their personal belongings. Look for straws, empty packets or balloons, tin foil or other odd paper or packaging items that are unfamiliar to you -- and specifically pay attention to new friends and personality shifts.”

Parents who educate themselves on the warning signs of teen heroin abuse can act as the first line of defense, before law enforcement officials are forced to intervene.

“We recognize an increase (in heroin use by teens), but it is difficult to numerically quantify the increase, because police officers frequently don’t receive overdose information,” said Brown. “Often times, the kids who use are able to remain under police radar unless they are encountered for some other circumstance.”

That circumstance could be as ordinary as a police traffic stop -- or as devastating as a drug overdose.

A Coal City man accused in the May carjacking of a woman in Woodridge claimed he would flee to Chile to avoid the charges, according to prosecutors.

Earlier this week, prosecutors asked a judge to raise the bail of 31-year-old Michael Buhrman to $1 million after information surfaced indicating Buhrman told a 20-year-old woman he had "access to a private jet" and recently purchased several thousands of dollars in gold, court documents state.

"(Buhrman) stated (to the woman) he intends to leave the country soon," the bond-increase motion explained, adding Buhrman planned to flee to Chile "within the next few weeks."

Buhrman was indicted in May on charges of aggravated vehicular hijacking, vehicular hijacking and unlawful use of a weapon. Prosecutors have said Buhrman, wearing a mask, pointed a loaded .45-caliber handgun at a woman sitting in a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am at the Kohl's at 75th Street and Lemont Road on May 9.

He remains free on $200,000 bail, but a judge placed him on home confinement and GPS monitoring this week after prosecutors raised concerns about Buhrman's reported statements to the woman, who said Buhrman introduced himself by a different last name when they met, records show.

The judge said Buhrman is allowed to leave his home for court, counseling sessions, his court-approved child visitation and to seek employment. Published reports have indicated Buhrman worked as a nuclear engineer at the Dresden Nuclear Power Plant in Morris.

Buhrman is also prohibited from being within five miles of any airport property, documents state.

The woman told authorities that Buhrman said his attorneys would stall the case by asking for continuances, giving him an opportunity to leave the country, records show.

"(She) has been attempting to renew her passport ... in order to give her relationship with the defendant a chance," prosecutors wrote in the motion.

It would appear Darien residents love their ice cream more than the average American.

In advance of National Ice Cream Day this Sunday, Crain’s Chicago Business has released data about how much money each suburbs spends on ice cream, via an interactive map that shows ice cream spending by ZIP code.

Darien’s index is 137, beat out by Willowbrook at 151, Lemont and Oakbrook at 154, Wheaton at 167 and Clarendon Hills at 169. Residents of Naperville’s 60564 ZIP code really love ice cream, with the highest index in the county: 207. Hinsdale is next, with an index of 201.

To find your community on the map, select your county and municipality to see if its ZIP code falls above or below the national average (represented by an index of 100).

If an area has an index of 105, then people there spent 5 percent more that the national average (an index of 95 means the area spent 5 percent less).

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month—falling this year on Sunday, July 15—as National Ice Cream Day.

Check out Darien Patch's business directory for shops and restaurants that serve ice cream.

HUNGRY FOR MORE?

• Northwest Indiana Times’ website offers a list of ice-cream-related apps ranked by Mobilwalla to get your appetite and creative juices flowing.
• Elk Grove Patch reports on some fun facts about National Ice Cream month.
• St. Charles, MO Patch shares how to enjoy frozen treats without killing your diet. 
• Baskin-Robbins, the world's largest chain of ice cream specialty shops, commissioned an independent survey of 1,000 U.S. respondents to get the scoop on how Americans plan to enjoy ice cream this summer.
• To help celebrate National Ice Cream Day, Baskin-Robbins is holding a Twitter sweepstakes this Sunday to give ice cream lovers a chance to win $260 in Baskin-Robbins gift cards, enough to keep the ice cream scoops flowing for a year. For more information about the sweepstakes, visit BaskinRobbins.com or follow @BaskinRobbins on Twitter.

The Darien Youth Club Champion Cardinals recently defeated the Woodridge Athletic Association Champion Rangers in the Greater DuPage County Pony Association Championship Mustang Division Game by a score of 12 to 5. 

Coaches said the Cardinals came out on top with a great team effort from all its players. The team won the DYC Championship when they defeated the Padres 12 to 7. 

Head coach Joe Wasler and assistant coaches Mike Tirrito and David Leatherwood said the Cardinals worked hard all season and eventually swept the playoffs and won the championship game. During their playoff run, a different player would step up in every game and get a key hit or make a big defensive play. 

"The players really worked well together.  It was a true team effort that got them the championship.  Every player contributed to the team," said the coaches.

Editor's note: Information submitted by David Leatherwood.

Mary Kay Brennan grew up on the south side of Chicago. She attended Mundelein College and planned to become a teacher. Then she met Norb Slowikowski, married at age 21 and settled into family life.

But big changes were in the air, leading Mary Kay Slowikowski down a very different path to establish a very different family business – Slowikowski & Associates.

Upon her engagement, Mary left school and secured a job teaching fifthgrade at St. Felicitas, her home parish in Chicago. A year later, her 50 students attended her wedding Mass, and one year later, she was pregnant.

“At that time, if you were pregnant, you didn’t teach,” Mary noted. “You were out.”

Mary's husband Norb had grown up in the same neighborhood where they bought their first home. He worked during the day and studied for his master’s degree at night. When McDonalds hired him for a corporate position, life changed dramatically for the young family.

“McDonalds started moving us around the country,” Mary said. “They wanted him to come up through the stores. They moved us to Wisconsin, St. Louis, and back to Illinois. Three moves in three years.”

Corporate moves like theirs were common. But moving with three young children brought on panic attacks for Mary. With help, she overcame them. But it started her thinking about her life.

"I didn’t want to go back to the classroom," Mary said. "Those were the days where, if your husband was the corporate guy, you didn’t strike out. But I have a great husband who had a lot of empathy. He said, ‘You have a lot of skills, Mary. Maybe you should take some classes.’”

When the Slowikowski family moved to St. Louis, Norb suggested that Mary get all the wives together.

“All these women were coming into St. Louis – new McDonald’s couples,” Mary said. “We had parties and book clubs. None of them had ever moved before, and I got them involved because I had gone through a mess when I moved.”

The corporate office heard about Mary’s efforts, so when they moved Norb back to Oak Brook, they hired Mary part-time to help set up a relocation department.

“In those days, they gave you the Yellow Pages in a hotel room and said, ‘Go to it,’ ” she explained. “There was no help with schools. You were lucky if someone was there ahead of you that could direct you. I wanted to do all the things that weren’t done for me.”

McDonalds was happy with Mary's efforts and asked her to do the same in other districts. She enjoyed the work, but since Norb was already traveling around the country on business, Mary declined the offer so she could care for her family.

At the time, Bob Picha, a consultant who was working with Norb, told Mary that she’d do really well in her own business. He invited her to attend a three-day workshop he was leading, “Adventures in Attitudes.” Mary took the class and eventually became certified to teach it.

“That changed my whole life,” she said. “That was my purpose. I fell in love with it.”

In 1975, Mary started a business at her kitchen table. She knew she could lead the workshop but needed clients, so she started cold-calling businesses.

“There weren’t a lot of women (in business) 35 years ago,” she said. “When I’d go out to sell, I’d be the only woman in the lobby waiting to go into the (company) president’s office.”

In one of her first workshops, Mary spoke to a roomful of women, the wives of police chiefs. She read her speech and received polite applause. Picha suggested that she talk about her panic attacks as a way to connect with the people in the audience. She didn’t think anyone would be interested.

“The next time, I tried it, and there was a line waiting after the talk,” she remembered. “I thought, ‘Wow, it touches people’s hearts. That’s what I should be talking about.’”

Mary's confidence grew with each workshop. But Norb was getting more and more dissatisfied with his career, and the stress was taking a physical toll on him. He wanted to join Mary in business, but she worried about their expenses.

Norb finally convinced Mary to move, and for 12 years, the family lived in a home half the size of their previous one.

And it changed their lives – for the better.

When Maribel Morgan was on the cover of Time magazine promoting her book “The Total Woman,” Slowikowski was incensed. “I was a woman out there, just beginning," Mary said. "I thought, ‘She’s going to put us 50 years back!’”

Mary showed Norb the cover, and he challenged her to do something about it. So she created a workshop dubbed “The Future Woman,” based on the Adventures in Attitudes seminar, but geared specifically toward women who were finding their place in the world. One Saturday a month for one year, Mary ran the workshop, recruiting women from the business community – mostly secretaries – at that time.

“I went into companies, and the men would stick (the flyers) in the garbage,” Mary said. “The women would go through the garbage, take it out and show up because it was only $25 and (was on) a Saturday.”

Then Norb and Picha suggested that Mary add a business day on Sunday.

“They would first take the seminar (on Saturday),” Mary explained. “Then these women would be trained to teach the seminar. They would be certified, we’d give them a manual, and they’d go back and be able to teach it. They’d buy the materials from us.”

Mary put an ad in "Working Woman" magazine and "Success Unlimited." Women poured in from all walks of life across the U.S. and Canada. The seminar produced 50,000 graduates and 5,000 certified coordinators.

Now it was Mary's turn to travel the country while Norb took care of business at home.

“I was in Calgary, Canada, and I still remember an older woman with white hair and all these rings on,” Mary related. “At the end of the two days, she took this ring off her hand and gave it to me, saying, ‘You just touched my life. You changed my life. I want to give this to you.’”

But while men-only business associations existed, there were very few for women. So Mary started one.

“We had ‘Women in Management’ in 1979 up on the North Shore,” she said. “I brought a new group down to Oak Brook. Three hundred women were members, and 400 women would come to lunch once a month in Oak Brook. They did not necessarily have management titles, but they were managing. We (also) ended up with 22 National Association of Future Women (groups) around the country.”

As women were integrated into the workforce, the need for targeted workshops diminished as workshops on leadership and managing multiple roles included both men and women.

At the same time, Mary’s life took an unexpected turn. At age 39, she learned she was pregnant again. Her travels came to a halt.

“I again had to reinvent myself,” Mary said. “I went to Harper College and taught management. I taught at IBM. I taught presentation skills, team-building, communication. Dupont now brings me out every year to teach team-building to 24-year-olds, new engineers.”

Mary's reinvention led to an Emmy nomination.

“I gave a talk at a hospital,” she related. “One of the volunteers came up to me and said, ‘My husband’s the president of World Book. You’re going to be at the Chicago Theater at the convention (as) one of the speakers.’”

Mary did speak at that convention, along with Leo Buscaglia and Ann Landers. The 5,000 salespeople from World Book gave her a standing ovation.

But she wasn’t quite finished.

“I was watching PBS one day and saw all the men,” she said. “I called WTTW and said, ‘I know there are a lot of women. When are you ever going to have them on?’ The representative replied, ‘There’s a producer downtown right now. Do you have a tape? Send it down.’”

Mary did two 60-minute specials for WTTW – “Live Your Life’s Music” and “Change Your Life, The Choice is Yours.”

Slowikowski & Associates has become a true family business. Husband Norb continues to teach productivity and leadership, focusing on the construction business. For the past 15 years, son Eddie has run a leadership camp for high-schoolers and is now working with adults as well. Daughter Anne and son Tim provide management and business support.

In addition to her business engagements, Mary is on the board of Mayslake Ministries and is the chairperson of the Encore program at Old St. Patrick’s Church in Chicago. She also conducts a speaker’s series at the Carmelite Spiritual Center and a Women’s Spirituality Group at the Carmelite Carefree Village.

“We teach skills that will help them become better leaders,” Mary said. “We teach productivity that will help them become a better company. We can motivate employees. There’s a lot of substance to Slowikowski & Associates; it’s not fluff.”

For more information, contact Slowikowski & Associates at 630-910-8920 or go to www.making-it-happen.net.

About a dozen people came to Rep. Judy Biggert's office Thursday to protest her vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act, upheld by the Supreme Court on June 28.

The demonstrators carried signs and stood outside Biggert's office alongside Kingery Highway. Some of them stood underneath a large banner that read "Honk To Save Medicare."

The protesters felt strongly that the Act, a.k.a. Obamacare, should remain in place because of the numerous benefits they say it provides for struggling families.

"Stop trying to undo the beginning [of universal health care,] and start working on the future ... rather than waste time trying to get back to ground zero," said Reverend Dr. Thom Parrott-Sheffer, a Burr Ridge resident. Parrott-Sheffer is an associate minister at the Union Church of Hinsdale.

Parrott-Sheffer said he joined the effort to support Obamacare, because he has seen so many people struggle to make health care decisions for themselves.

"A woman in my church said it was a choice for her whether to eat or pay for her medication," Parrott-Sheffer said.

Supporters of the new law lined up in Biggert's office to tell staffers how the Affordable Care Act has personally benefited them.

"My granddaughter was born in February of 2010," said Kim Johnson, a Downers Grove resident. "She was born about one month premature. Nothing else was wrong. She was denied health insurance, because of the pre-existing condition of being born premature. As of July 2010, she was covered under the Affordable Care Act."

Effective August 2012, women's preventative health care services—such as mammograms, screenings for cervical cancer and prenatal care—will be covered without cost sharing in new health plans. That's very important to Siobhan Burke, an Aurora resident and part-time teacher.

"If the [Affordable Care Act] is repealed, that won't be available, and that will impact women who don't have insurance like myself," Burke said.

In response to Patch's questions about why Biggert continues to pursue repealing the Affordable Care Act, and what she would do to address this country's health care issues, Representative Biggert's office sent the following in an emailed statement:

"Whether it’s dropped coverage, higher costs, or lost jobs—the unintended consequences of the Administration’s 2010 health law continue to add up. Many small businesses have stopped hiring, or are considering dropping the coverage they offer today.  Congresswoman Biggert supports maintaining coverage for pre-existing conditions and young adults, but she is committed to ending government policies that continue to drive up costs."

To find out more about the Affordable Care Act, click here.

The office of DuPage County Sheriff John E. Zaruba has announced the arrest of an Alsip man who allegedly exposed himself to a woman this morning.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 26-year-old Alsip man and charged him with public indecency, a Class A misdemeanor, for allegedly exposing himself to a woman who was driving her car on Nantucket Drive near North Frontage Road in unincorporated Darien.

Gregory A Valentin of the 11600 block South Knox, Alsip, was arrested after deputies found him near the scene of the incident.

Valentin is currently being held in the DuPage County Jail.

Patch will update this story as information becomes available.

Editor's note: The above information was provided by the DuPage County Sheriff's Office. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.

Name: Nemo 

Sex: Male 

Breed: Beagle/Shar Pei Mix

More info: Nemo, along with his sister and two brothers, recently arrived at Aloha Rescue from a kill shelter. Nemo is working on housebreaking and crate training. 

Okay with dogs? Yes 

Okay with cats? Nemo hasn't been around cats yet. 

Adoption fee: Nemo's adoption fee is $400, which includes age-appropriate shots, de-worming, micro-chipping, neutering and six months of pet insurance. An application and a home visit is required.

Interested? For more information on how to adopt Nemo, call Stephanie Ptak with Aloha Rescue at 630-378-5311.

The registration deadline is July 20 for the 2012 Community Golf Classic on Wednesday, July 25, at Village Greens Golf Course, 1575 75^th St., Woodridge.

The public event is sponsored by the Darien, Lemont, Westmont and Woodridge chambers of commerce and includes lunch, dinner, a two-hour open bar, raffles, games and more.

The day of the event, golfers will register from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Lunch is planned for 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., followed by a mega-putt contest at 12:45 p.m. The golf classic will begin with a shotgun start at 1 p.m.

Tickets cost $150 for an individual golfer or $560 for a foursome. For $45, non-golfers may attend the dinner and reception, which will begin at 6:30 p.m.

For more information, click on the name of a chamber of commerce listed above to visit its website or on the PDF at the top of this story to view the flyer.

7-Eleven Day Means Free Slurpees for All

The convenience store celebrates its birthday/anniversary every year by giving away its signature 7.11-ounce frozen drinks for free.

Confetti Dance Band at Indian Prairie Library Wednesday

Pack a picnic dinner, grab a lawn chair and enjoy a free outdoor concert.

Style Central: Style To Dye For!

How many times will we do the same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome?

'Savages' Full of Reefer Madness

Movie reviewer says ‘Savages’ serves as a smart, cautionary tale.

Dianne Barrett Case to Resume in September After Short Hearing

Judge Thomas Dudgeon did not rule Monday on the motion for sanctions against the board member by District 86.

Sizzling Summer Stresses Plants, Lawns

Experts say proper watering can save precious landscaping.

Wagon Tours, Family Events Held This Week by the DuPage Forest Preserve

Fun for the entire family at Forest Preserve District of DuPage County locations.

Fifty Shades of Porn: Mom Talk

What is so fascinating about the "Fifty Shades of Grey" trilogy?

Add the Punchline to Our Space Dog Cartoon

If you've got wit, add your caption to Patch's weekly comic challenge and win a personalized print.

Looking for a Job? Here's Who's Hiring

We've rounded up a few ads from area businesses that are looking to fill positions.

Chris Hage Appointed to DuPage Election Commission

Wheaton attorney Christopher Hage fills vacancy on the three-member DuPage Election Commission.

Darien Mustang Blue All-Stars Defeat Woodridge All-Stars

Game was played at Eisenhower Junior High July 2.

Local Lawmakers React to Legislative Scholarship Ban

House Minority Leader Tom Cross and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno applauded Gov. Pat Quinn for signing off on legislation to abolish the controversial program.

Beautiful Night, Beautiful Music

"Confetti" dance band entertained at the library Wednesday night.

Two Paws Unite to Save Others

Canine couple will celebrate “mutt"rimony Sunday at DuPage County Fairgrounds.

Paulette Delcourt: Don't Shortcut on the Stairs

How speeding up slowed her down—for a little while.

Texas Man Accused of Planting Camera in Lemont Starbucks Women's Bathroom

Brent C. Faulk, 27, was charged with unauthorized video recording after police said he planted a video camera in a coffee cup at the Lemont Starbucks on May 15. He was freed on $2,000 bond.

Darien Youth Club Cardinals Victorious Over Woodridge Team

Cardinals defeated Woodridge Athletic Association Rangers in Pony Association Championships.

Slowikowski & Associates Inspires Leadership

Darien business shares a family’s talents to improve businesses

We All Scream for Ice Cream, But Darien Spends More Than Most Suburbs

According to a recent report by Crain's Chicago Business, Darien residents spend more on ice cream than the national average and some of their suburban neighbors.

Carjacking Suspect Put On Home Confinement

Prosecutors: Michael Buhrman allegedly told woman of plan to flee to Chile.

Protestors: 'Stop Trying to Repeal Affordable Care Act'

Demonstrators came to Rep. Judy Biggert's office to protest her vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Forum will Focus on Heroin Education, Prevention Monday in Naperville

Authorities in DuPage County are sounding the alarm about teens’ increasing use of the drug.

Online registration is available through July 29 for the Darien Youth Club’s outdoor soccer program, which runs from Aug. 20 through Oct. 27.

Fees are $95 for children in kindergarten and first grade and $110 for players in second- through eighth-grades. Families will pay a $300 maximum fee if more than one child is signed up. Families can register at bockyn.com/bockyn/showPrograms.php?oid=dyc.

Children’s profiles should reflect the grade they will enter in the fall.

Coaches for boys and girls divisions one, two and three will contact players in mid-August. Instructional coaches will contact their players in late August, with a planned starting date of Tuesday, Sept. 4. Children who sign up for the outdoor league will be eligible to register early for the DYC indoor club.

Kindergarteners and first graders will receive T-shirts, while second- through eighth-graders will receive team shirts and socks. All children should wear their own black shorts.

Boys and Girls in divisions one and two (grades 2-5) will play at either Darien Swim and Racquet Club or Smart Oaks. Boys and girls in division one (grades 6-8) will play at Lakeview School.

Early on, scheduled games will be played once during the week and once on Saturday. The day and time will be based on the amount of teams in each division.

Visit the DYC website at darienyouthclub.org for more information.

Editor's note: The above information was submitted by David Leatherwood

Name: Pumba 

Age: Puppy 

Sex: Male 

Breed: Collie/German Shepherd mix 

More info: Pumba came with his brother, Simba, from a kill shelter. 

Adoption Fee: Pumba's adoption fee is $400, which includes age-appropriate shots, de-worming, micro-chipping, neutering and six months of pet insurance. An application and a home visit is required.

Interested? For more information on how to adopt Pumba, call Stephanie Ptak with Aloha Rescue at 630-378-5311.

Editor's Note: This article was created by aggregating news articles from Illinois Statehouse News that were written by various Illinois Statehouse News reporters.

Illinois Week in Review: Scholarships Abolished, Smith Hearing to Proceed as Scheduled

SPRINGFIELD – Gov. Pat Quinn this week signed off on a bill that eliminates the state’s decades-old legislative scholarship perk, and a committee of House lawmakers denied a request by indicted state Rep. Derrick Smith to delay a hearing to determine punishment.

Quinn signs bill to abolish legislative scholarship program

Illinois’ century-old legislative scholarship program started with good intentions but was hijacked by “a small band of craven lawmakers with the worst of intentions,” a government watchdog said this week.

Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday signed a bill that abolishes the program, which had become a source of corruption and misuse.

“This is not about depriving needy students of educational opportunities,” said Andy Shaw, president of the Chicago-based Better Government Association, which investigated lawmakers’ use of the program. “It’s about depriving greedy lawmakers of unethical patronage opportunities.”

The program allows lawmakers to hand out tuition waivers to public universities. Among the few rules are that recipients must live in the district of the lawmaker awarding the scholarship. Over time, reports surfaced of lawmakers distributing waivers to campaign donors, employees and people outside the district. Those reports prompted calls for an end to the program.

Last year the program cost the state $13 million.

Sen. Annazette Collins, D-Chicago, is under investigation for her handling of tuition waivers, according to a report in the Chicago Sun-Times this week. The federal government is seeking 11 years’ worth of documents relating to how she decided to allow waivers and who received them.

The investigation follows reports by the Sun-Times earlier this year that suggested Collins gave waivers to students who did not live in her legislative district.

Last year, the federal government also sought information about tuition waivers awarded by former state Rep. Robert Molaro, a Democrat from Chicago. He has not been charged with wrongdoing.

Even though Quinn signed the law abolishing the program Wednesday, lawmakers can continue handing out waivers until September.

Discipline committee denies Smith request for extension

House lawmakers charged with deciding possible discipline for indicted Rep. Derrick Smith have denied his attorney’s request to delay the final hearing.

Victor Henderson, Smith’s Chicago attorney, on July 6 asked the committee to delay the hearing for at least 30 days after July 19, the scheduled date for the final hearing. Henderson said he needed more time so he could ask the federal court to modify a protective order and allow him to use some kind of unidentified evidence at the hearing.

Smith, a Chicago Democrat, is under federal indictment, charged with taking a $7,000 bribe in his job as a state legislator.

The House Select Committee on Discipline responded Wednesday that it saw no point in waiting because the U.S. attorney has repeatedly said any evidence revealed during the committee hearings could jeopardize Smith’s criminal case.

Members of the bipartisan committee are charged with deliberating possible professional punishment for Smith. They have four options: to expel, censure, reprimand or exonerate Smith. The House then must vote on the committee’s recommendation.

Lawmakers call for override of Quinn’s prison funding veto

State lawmakers and the union representing thousands of correctional officers are calling for an override of Gov. Pat Quinn‘s veto that slashed funding for two prisons and two youth centers.

“The biggest concern I have is not only the safety of our employees, but the safety of our citizens,” said state Sen. John O. Jones, R-Mount Vernon. “We’re going to get to the point where the citizens are going to be in danger from the overcrowding here. I’m very supportive of overriding the veto. We (lawmakers) put that money in the budget for a reason, and that was to keep these facilities open.”

Kelly Kraft, Quinn’s budget spokeswoman, responded to the lawmakers’ call for a veto, saying, “Anyone who calls to keep these outdated, half-full, expensive facilities open is calling for the continual waste of taxpayer dollars on facilities the state no longer needs.”

Eight lawmakers, Democrats and Republicans from both chambers of the General Assembly joined in calling for a veto override Tuesday, pointing to resulting job losses in their districts and what they believe are Quinn’s broken promises. They also pointed to the potential for crowding and increased violence in the state’s prisons, citing an Associated Press report from Monday that identified several recent reports of violence.

Quinn wants to close four correctional facilities: Tamms “super-max” prison in economically depressed far southern Illinois; Dwight Correctional Center, a women’s prison in Grundy County about 80 miles southwest of downtown Chicago; and youth correctional centers in Joliet outside of Chicago; and Murphysboro in southern Illinois.

Lawmakers provided funding for the facilities in the budget they passed in May, but Quinn, who had vowed to close them, later vetoed the funding.

Unemployment officials looking for prisoners on rolls

State unemployment officials are cross-checking their rolls with prisons and jails to cull people who collect benefits but don’t qualify for them.

The cross-check, prompted by a House resolution, has been under way about two weeks. So far they’ve identified about 420 people whose names appear on both lists.

Illinoisans who receive unemployment benefits must certify every two weeks, by phone or online, they were available for work the previous two weeks.

In numerous scenarios, a person’s name could show up on a jail log while he legitimately qualifies for benefits – weekend jail time and evening incarceration, for example. Officials are interested in finding people who are jailed, unable to work and have certified they qualify for benefits or have asked someone else to certify them on their behalf.

The initiative is in line with the agency’s focus on “trust-fund integrity,” said Greg Rivara, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Businesses pay into the unemployment fund, and their contribution levels are set according to several factors, including the fund balance.

“So dollars that inappropriately go out of the fund and are wrongfully paid to claimants have a direct effect on businesses because part of their payment is based on the balance of the trust fund,” Rivara said.

The cross-check will occur on a continuous basis and is expected to save up to $200 million a year. About 253,000 Illinoisans receive unemployment benefits. Officials are comparing those names to an inmate list of about 65,000.

— Jayette Bolinski