Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Mayoral candidates tout own economic development plans after praises focus on Arcada but says Rogina’s vision for downtown is a good start.
St. Charles mayoral candidates Jotham Stein and John Rabchuk on Monday each responded to 3rd Ward Alderman Ray Rogina’s vision for downtown renewal, with Stein saying the plan does not go far enough and Rabchuk saying he is the only candidate with a comprehensive economic development plan. “The Arcada Theatre (105 E. Main St.) is a fantastic source of culture and entertainment and building on the Arcada’s accomplishments will certainly help our downtown grow,” Stein said in a statement issued Monday afternoon. “The more the Arcada offers quality shows that people want to see, the more vital our downtown will be and the more tax revenue the city will collect. “To the extent Mr. Rogina’s plan works to grow downtown’s culture and …
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Mayoral candidate said the mayor just needs to enforce the law; Wyatt likes reform but wants questions answered.
In a city where liquor dealers already are tense over the St. Charles City Council’s stance on downtown alcohol-related problems, things could get a little more so once there’s a new sheriff — er, mayor — in town. Whether the tension does increase remains to be seen, but St. Charles’ mayoral candidates agree the city needs to draw the line more clearly and enforce the law more strictly. On one side of the line is 3rd Ward Alderman Ray Rogina, who this week proposed revamping the city’s liquor code to more clearly distinguish the difference between liquor licenses for restaurants and those for bars, to plainly delineate what penalties are in order for various infractions, and to subject 2 a.m. liquor licenses to annual approval based on an …
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Mayoral candidate thanks political opponent Rogina for correction on abandoned railway line.
St. Charles mayoral candidate John Rabchuk on Wednesday responded to his opponents’ criticisms of his plan to make the city a hub for bicyclists, even thanking 3rd Ward Alderman Ray Rogina for correcting his remarks about an abandoned rail line. “I have received tremendous support for the concept of making St. Charles a cycling hub, including many new ideas from residents that would greatly expand on my original concepts,” Rabchuk said in a release issued Wednesday. “Once elected, I intend to create a cycling commission made up of cycling enthusiasts and business leaders that can identify and review what other cycling hubs around the country have successfully implemented and then make recommendations to our city staff and council.” In …
Jotham Stein says city’s greater need is to be a business hub; Rogina says the desciption of the abandoned rail line segment may mislead businesses that rely on open section.
St. Charles mayoral candidates Jotham Stein and 3rd Ward Alderman Ray Rogina this week offered some constructive criticism of John Rabchuk’s plan to make the city a hub for bicyclists, with Stein saying the city’s greater need is to become a business hub, and Rogina criticizing an inaccuracy in the plan that might mislead some businesses. Rabchuk said he wants to make St. Charles a hub for bicyclists, and proposed a number of steps, including the addition of some amenities. “Making St. Charles not just a cycling hub, but a sports hub is a great idea,” Stein wrote in an email to St. Charles Patch, “however, what St. Charles really needs is a mayor who will make St. Charles a business hub. “That’s my top priority and what, with my experience…
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
St. Charles alderman and candidate for mayor polishes suggestions he offered during Monday’s City Council committee meeting.
A St. Charles mayoral candidate is calling for “commonsense reforms to the liquor code” he believes will help to settle down alcohol-related problems that sparked a proposal in August to cut back the business hours for bars and taverns. Third Ward Alderman Ray Rogina on Tuesday pitched the proposals he first offered as a question and some suggestions Monday night to his fellow aldermen, who were meeting as the City Council Government Operations Committee. Rogina asked the city staff Monday night to see if there is a model — ostensibly an ordinance already in use by another community — that treats the 2 a.m. closing time as a privilege that needs to receive City Council approval year by year. Doing so, he said in a release he issued Tuesday…
Monday, January 28, 2013
Doing so would boost tourism and increase the health and vibrancy of St. Charles, mayoral candidate says.
Those who remember the Criterium bicycle races, which drew scores of cyclists to St. Charles, might agree with mayoral candidate John Rabchuk’s idea that the city ought to start promoting itself as a place to ride. “St. Charles has a golden opportunity to become a cycling hub for northern Illinois,” he said in his latest campaign announcement. “With careful planning and minimal investment, the city of St. Charles, the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce, the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the local cycling community working together should aggressively pursue this opportunity to attract cycling visitors to St. Charles. “A coordinated and focused effort to create and promote this cycling hub concept will enhance the economic and physical …
Michael Mak
5:05 pm on Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Please finish up the First Street Project !! To go past the vacant land where Blue Goose and Manor House use to be for 3 years, and see that Eye sore for the City is ridiculous. Lets get a mayor that can make something Happen, and Quick!! Scrap the Condo Plans. Lets get a Family/Pancake type restaurant there and save some park space ! (Really if you look at the project as a whole right now, I … more ›