Pulse: Deadline debate over closing of IYC in Joliet
July 8, 2012 11:24PM
The Illinois Youth Center in Joliet, Ill. | File photo
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Updated: August 10, 2012 6:18AM
When Gov. Pat Quinn cut the Illinois Youth Center Joliet budget in half on June 30, local legislators hoped that meant the facility would close in six months instead of the original date of Oct. 31. That would give them time in the November veto session to work on saving the facility and its 250 jobs.
But Kelly Kraft, the governor’s assistant budget director, said in an email to The Herald-News last week that IYC-Joliet is still slated to close on Oct. 31 — not Dec. 31.
Whether the closure date is Oct. 31 or Dec. 31, state Rep. Larry Walsh said, “We’ve got every intention of working with the governor over the next three to four months to try to convince him this is not a good idea.”
Sticky feet
How hot was it marching in Fourth of July parades? It was so hot, people’s shoes were sticking to the asphalt, said Will County Board member Cory Singer, who hopes to unseat Will County Executive Larry Walsh in November.
“In Beecher, we stood on blacktop for an hour and a half waiting for the parade to start,” Singer said. “You had to peel your shoes off the blacktop before you could start walking. One woman’s flip flop got stuck and it tore off half of the back of it. Who would have thought the street would start melting?”
Hot rod dreamin’
Joliet Mayor Thomas Giarrante said he spoke with raceway officials on June 29 at the National Hot Rod Association events at Route 66 Raceway. During that conversation, Giarrante heard about an idea for an NHRA race fan fest next year, similar to what is done for NASCAR.
“I’ve got to talk to some people about putting it together, but it’s just another thing that I think would bring a lot of people downtown. So we’re going to work on that, see if we can’t put that together,” Giarrante said at last week’s city council meeting.
Percussion discussion
Robert O’Dekirk was recognized as a celebrity by his Joliet City Council colleague Larry Hug last week.
O’Dekirk’s band, Lockdown, played on June 30 on the main stage at the Taste of Joliet.
“From what I understand — I didn’t get a chance to see him that day — but he can really shred it up on the drums,” Hug said at last week’s council session.
“Autographs in the back, after the meeting?” Hug said.
Cindy Wojdyla Cain and Tony Graf contributed to Pulse.
