EPA cleanup at former Silbert Watch Co. site complete

The Environmental Protection Agency cleanup of toxic materials left behind at the former Silbert Watch Co. property on Elgin’s northeast side is complete.

According to information from the Elgin Historical Society, Silbert was located at 1409 Dundee Ave. from 1953 until 1971.

Silbert, located at 1409 Dundee Ave. from 1953 to 1971, provided watch repair for jewelers and manufactured dials. The company used radium-based paint to manufacture luminous watch dials and hands at the site from 1954 to 1971, according to a news release from the EPA.

The Dundee Avenue lot is owned by Stacy Construction Co. of Warrenville, according to Kane County property tax records. Affected adjacent land owned by the Church of the Brethren and Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley was also cleaned by the EPA.

Over the course of the two-month removal process, crews excavated, packaged and shipped more than 190 tons of soil to a specialized waste facility, a news release said. The excavated areas were backfilled with clean soil and crews conducted walkover radiation surveys and soil sampling to confirm total radium had been removed.

Crews began restoring the site in May, regrading portions of the site, reseeding grass areas without grass and covering the new seed with straw seed blankets.

Hanover Township, District U-46 receive budget recognition

Hanover Township and School District U-46 have been honored for their budget presentations by the Government Finance Officer Association and the Association of School Business Officials International respectively.

Hanover Township was presented with the Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting Award for the township’s 2024 budget, according to a news release. It was the second consecutive year the township has been recognized with the honor.

District U-46 received a Meritorious Budget Award for Fiscal Year 2024-25, according to a U-46 news release. It was the ninth consecutive year U-46 has been recognized; only 16 other school districts in Illinois earned the honr for the 2024-25 fiscal year.

The Government Finance Officers Association is a nonprofit professional association serving 20,000 government finance professionals throughout North America.

“While all governments are obligated to report and submit their financials for public viewing, not all the information is easily understood or explained in its current form,” Hanover Township Supervisor Brian McGuire said in the release. “This award continues with our trend of open and honest government at Hanover Township.”

U-46 Deputy Superintendent of Operations Ann Williams said in the release that the “team members in our finance department create clear, accurate and user-friendly budget documents that do more than just present numbers; they provide a transparent window into our financial operations, allowing the entire community to understand how funds are generated and allocated to support the academic and operational priorities of our school district.”

A new ordinance allows East Dundee residents to use of golf carts and utility task vehicles, known as UTVs, on designated village streets. (Village of East Dundee)

16 people register golf carts, UTVs for use in East Dundee

Sixteen residents have applied to register golf carts or UTVs for use in East Dundee following the village board’s approval of an ordinance allowing them on some village streets, village officials said.

The ordinance, which went into effect July 1, allows licensed drivers 18 or older to operate registered non-highway vehicles on village roads with a speed limit of 35 mph or less. Registered permits are $25 and expire at the end of each year.

East Dundee management analyst Caleb Haydock said that as of Sept. 5, the village had permitted eight golf carts and four UTVs and applications were pending for two golf carts and two UTVs.

Registration open for Geneva Citizens Police Academy

Registration is open for Geneva residents who want to participate in the city’s 2025 Citizen Police Academy.

The free program will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursdays from Oct. 2 to Dec. 18 at the Geneva Police Department, a news release said. Participants will be given an overview of the department and a behind-the-scenes look at police operations, including the hiring process, crime scene investigations, use of force, technology crime, traffic enforcement, crime prevention, drug education and active shooter response.

Applicants must be 21 or older and be a resident or business owner in the city of Geneva, the release said. Applications are available on the city’s website at www.geneva.il.us or at the Geneva Police Department.

Completed applications should be dropped off at or mailed to the Geneva Police Department, 20 Police Plaza, Geneva, IL 60134, by Friday, Sept. 19.

For more information, call Sgt. Brad Jerdee at 630-232-4736.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/12/elgin-epa-silbert-dundee-carts-budgets/