Politics & Government
Toll Hike Hearing, Hultgren Town Hall and More: 5 Things You Should Know for Thursday, Aug. 18
Aquascape has once again made us proud that St. Charles is its hometown.
If you travel the tollways, you may want to attend a public hearing in Geneva today for a discussion of the proposed rate hikes by the Illinois Tollway.
Plus, local favorite band Howard and the White Boys will perform for free tonight in Lincoln Park in St. Charles.
Here are five things going on today:
Find out what's happening in St. Charleswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
1. in the Lincoln Park Gazebo. Bring blankets and chairs for sitting on the lawn. And, as always, this is a free concert and open to all ages.
Howard and the White Boys began in 1988 at Northern Illinois University. They have performed their Chicago-style blues worldwide and, in 2000, recorded one of their most popular live CD's at in St. Charles.
Find out what's happening in St. Charleswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
2. at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. A ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for today led by Greg Wittstock, Aquascape founder and CEO.
Aquascape Inc., the largest manufacturer and distributor of pond supplies in North America, has installed two pondless waterfalls during the past two years near the Shedd’s north outdoor terrace and East Solidarity Drive.
3. for the proposed Illinois Tollway rate hike. The state is attempting to implement a $12 billion capital plan by increasing tolls 35 to 45 cents. Revenues would be used to fund improvements for the tollways
The hearing is scheduled for 4 to 6 p.m. at the Kane County Government Center, 719 S. Batavia Ave., Building A, in Geneva. The tollway also is seeking feedback on its website.
4. U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren from 6 to 7 p.m. at the , 1801 South St. in Geneva. Hultgren recently , saying the debt ceiling "doesn't go far enough."
5. Fun Fact: On Aug. 18, 1862, Chicago-based company Montgomery Ward published the first mail-order catalogue. It consisted of only a single piece of paper that founder Aaron Montgomery Ward wrote himself. By 1904, the company was mailing out more than 3 million catalogues weighing four pounds each. Montgomery Ward went bankrupt in 2001 but was acquired by an online retailer and re-launched in 2004.
