Pro & Con: Residents React to Mining Proposal in Channahon

Some favor a plan to allow Ketone Partners to mine and develop a parcel at U.S. 6 and Bluff Road. Others are against the project. Where do you fall on this issue?

A proposal to allow Ketone Partners to resume mining on a large parcel of land at U.S. 6 and Bluff Road in Channhon had a number of local residents raising their voices on Patch. Ketone, a Chicago-based real estate, consulting and development firm, wants to mine the property for 10-15 years, then turn the land into a luxury residential neighborhood surrounded on three-sides by a 90- to 100-acre lake. The company's plan, as outlined in a recent Village of Channahon planning and zoning commission meeting, calls for 100 homes to be built, each one of the homes sitting on one-acre lots. Here is a Sampling of Patch Readers/Users Had to Say: Bob 6:28 am on Friday, May 17, 2013 another screw up by Pena and his clowns, everything for the village …

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Residents Wary of Mining in Channahon

Ketone Partners project could result in short-term heartache for some, long-term windfall for the Village of Channahon.

A proposal to resume mining operations on a large piece of property at U.S. 6 and Bluff Road in Channahon has some residents calling for the Village Board to step in before their way of life is altered by dust, noise and truck traffic. “Can’t something be done to re-zone this property into something that can be more useful to a growing village?” questioned Nikki Larson in an email correspondence with Village Trustee Missey Schumacher. Larson, a physical education teacher and the girls golf coach at Plainfield South High School, lives in the last house on a dead-end street that likely will be affected directly if Ketone Partners is allowed to move forward with mining operations and a plan to develop the parcel into a luxury residential …

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Golf Cart Ordinance Begs Question: What's Next?

Under a new ordinance, Channahon residents will be allowed to drive golf carts on Village roadways.

If you see your neighbor driving down the street in a golf cart, don’t slam on the brakes, hit yourself over the head and mutter under your breath, “Holy, Bubba Watson! Was that a hovercraft?” Because chances are, your neighbor will be driving around in an ordinary old golf cart, not something out of a Bubba Watson/PGA Tour fantasy YouTube video. Under an ordinance recently passed by the Village board, Channahon residents now will be allowed to drive golf carts on Village roadways having a posted speed of 35-mph or less. No kidding. How did all of this come about? “I think what happened is the mayor had some people inquire about it,” Channahon Village Administrator Joe Pena said. “He had the (police) chief put together an ordinance. And …

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Channahon Fire Assists in Evacuation of Residents

Channahon Fire District Protection answered a call to help evacuate residents from their home on Friday morning in flooded areas on Canal and Blackberry streets.

The Channahon Fire Protection District was called at 9:30 a.m. Friday by the Channahon Police Department and the Village of Channahon to help evacuate residents from Canal and Blackberry streets, according to fire district spokesperson Cindy Wilson. The dam near Bridge Street was comprised due to the flooding, which could have led to washing out the bridge, according to Wilson. This would have caused more flooding and would have been dangerous to the residents, she said. D Construction provided help with heavy machinery to help shore up the dam, according to Wilson. Approximately 41 residents were notified without incident. A temporary shelter was set up at the Channahon Park District Field House, Wilson said.

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RTA Identifies Alleged Tax-Dodging Companies

Sixteen companies located in Channahon were on the list released by the RTA Wednesday of companies that allegedly have or had sales tax rebate agreements with Kankakee or Channahon.

The Regional Transportation Authority released the names of some of the companies that have or had sales tax rebate agreements with Kankakee or Channaon in a news release on Wednesday. In the release, the RTA said the names were discovered through a series of Freedom of Information Act requests, filings with the state and court filings outside of Cook County. The RTA said 70 or more companies may have entered into sales tax rebate agreements with Kankakee or Channahon, according to the news release. The RTA alleges that many of these businesses have rented office space in these towns to avoid paying higher sales taxes from their actual offices in the six-county RTA region. The RTA said these small, part-time offices are rarely occupied, …

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Local Music Teacher Opens His Own Business in Channahon

Steev Custer, who taught music lessons in local park districts, has opened his own instruction and repair shop.

If there is any doubt that Steev Custer is a musician at heart, it is in the names of he and his children that all doubt should be dismissed. He has two children, a daughter whose first name is Lennon and a son whose middle name is Gibson. Even his own name is different because of music. He began misspelling his first name on purpose so that he would become memorable. "People would say, oh, you're the guy who misspells his first name," he said. He has been playing for 25 years. Eventually, he began repairing instruments as well. "I started because I was a player and I can't leave anything alone," he said. He eventually attended the Chicago School of Guitar Making in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago, but he said the field is …

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Monique Phillips

1:19 pm on Thursday, April 18, 2013

Nice! Great to the the arts have a stronger presence in Channahon...   more ›

Local Law Leaders Push to Fight Crime by Educating Preschoolers

Some heavy hitters from the political and law enforcement arenas took time out to read to a classroom of preschool children Monday morning at N.B. Galloway School in Channahon.

Law enforcement leaders and state legistators took time out on Monday to read to a classroom of preschool children at N.B. Galloway Elementary School in Channahon. They also took time to call on state lawmakers to support high-quality preschool as a critical strategy to reduce crime, lower prison costs and save taxpayers money, according to a news release from Fight Crime: Invest in Kids. "As the former police chief and now the village administrator in Channahon, I take this community's long-term safety seriously," said Channahon Village Administrator Joe Pena in the release. "Proven programs like preschool help make Channahon a safe place to grow up." He was joined at N.B. Galloway Elementary School by Channahon police chief Jeff Wold, …

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IDOT Hearing Focuses on I-55 and U.S. 6 Improvements

IDOT and consultant personnel will be on hand to discuss project and answer questions during a public hearing at the Channahon Village Hall.

If you regularly travel on I-55 or U.S. 6, then you'll want to know about this because your commute soon will be interrupted by construction. The Illinois Department of Transportation will conduct a public hearing on the improvement of I-55 at U.S. 6 (Eames Street) on Wednesday, April 17, 2013. The hearing will be from 4 to 7 p.m. at Channahon Village Hall, 24555 S. Navajo Drive. The purpose of the hearing will be to present the preferred alternative and to obtain public input, according to a news release issued by IDOT. There will be a continues audio-visual presentation and exhibits will be on display, with IDOT and consultant personnel available to discuss the project and answer questions, according to the release. The study area along …

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Inside Biz

Labyrinth Tattoo Finds Its Home in Channahon

Mark Paolello, owner of the shop, moved his business to Chananhon in late 2012.

In October 2012, Mark Paolello took a chance. He opened his own business - a tattoo shop - in Channahon. It was a dream come true. "As far as career-wise goes, this would be my first choice," he said. Labyrinth Tattoo is located at 24503 W. Eames St. in Channahon. He said getting the approval for the storefront in the village was an easy process. "They're smart enough to know a new business is good as long as it is a legitimate business," he said. Paolello has always done some kind of art at his full-time job. "I did graphic design for a while; that's what I got my associates degree in and there's no money in it, that's why I do tattoos," Paolello said. Tattooing, though, is definitely a job Paolello loves. And, he has built teaching into …

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