Fundraising Group Meets Goal for Memorial Lights, D87 Authorizes Bids
Enough funds have been raised to install lights at Memorial Field.
Correction: Mary Ozog voted against the bid authorization process at last night's meeting, along with Thomas Voltaggio.
The Memorial Lights fundraising group was able to secure enough funds from the community, giving the go-ahead to school board members to authorize bids for the project.
Glenbard Township High School District 87 vowed to hold off on the project until enough funds ($325,000) were collected, entirely by private donations, before putting the item on the agenda to begin the bid process.
At Monday's school board meeting two board members, Thomas Voltaggio and Mary Ozog, voted against sending the project to the next phase.
"It's a significant culture change for this campus," said Voltaggio. He said the installation of two 60-foot and four 70-foot light poles at the turf field, located across from Glenbard West High School in downtown Glen Ellyn, is an imposition on the people living right next to the field.
Mary Ozog, school board member, neighbor to the field and an outspoken opponent of lights, also voted against the bid process. Ozog is now focusing on establishing the advisory board before Sept. 1. When Glen Ellyn's village board of trustees approved the lights project, there were a list of conditions the school district would have to follow. One of which was to establish an advisory board that would include community members, school officials; the goal being to make sure the rules surrounding the lights would be followed.
Chris McClain, assistant superintendent for business purposes, said so far the project is on schedule. If all continues to go according to plan the lights will be installed before the 2012-2013 school year.
Editor's Note: Mary Ozog voted against the bid authorization process at last night's meeting, along with Thomas Voltaggio.
Mary Ozog
4:34 pm on Thursday, April 19, 2012
Correction. Last night, consistent with my stand on this issue, I voted against lights at Memorial Field. I called for the District to incorporate the usage restrictions they finally presented to the Village Board in Novemeber (after 4 months of Plan Commission hearings) into District 87's own facilities use policy. Well over a year ago I described the similar restrictions Oak Park imposed on use of the OPRF fields in front of the board while i was still a candidate.
I did vote in favor of moving forward with artificial turf at Glenbard East.
Ramona
9:58 am on Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Hmm...Mrs. Ozog voted for it? Wonder what her next step will be? I don't believe the Ozogs and OTOF will allow this without dragging this out further.
Marilyn
9:58 am on Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Sorry to hear about Mary's vote. Was that necessary in order to be eligible for the advisory group? I guess we'll all learn now what 6 and 7 story light poles look like in our neighborhood. Will they also be renting to outsiders?
Marilyn
9:58 am on Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Sorry to hear about Mary's vote. Was that necessary in order to be eligible for the advisory committee? Guess we'll all soon learn what 6 and 7 story light poles like. Good luck to all. (Will they also be renting the field to outsiders now?)
Samantha Liss
10:01 am on Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Hi Marilyn and Ramona,
Sorry for the confusion. Mary Ozog voted against the bid authorization process at last night's meeting, consistent with her stand on the issue. We've corrected the story. Thanks for your comments.