Aurora Weekly Times Vol.1, Is.3

2 Aurora Weekly Times

3Aurora Weekly Times

Clayton Muhammad named Aurora's Outstanding African American City of Aurora press release

Clayton Muhammad, newly ap-pointed Director of Communica-tions for the City of Aurora and lead-er of Boys II Men, has been named Aurora’s Outstanding African Amer-ican for 2013.

Muhammad will be recognized at the 9th annual African-American Heritage Advisory Board (AAHAB) Celebration at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 28 at the Gaslight Manor, 2485 Church Road.

The AAHAB annually presents an award to an African-American leader that has lasting impact in Au-rora and who has made signifi cant achievements in his or her fi eld and the community.

Toussaint Smith, Chairman of AA-HAB said, “Mr. Muhammad has a wonderful gift of turning a child’s

life around and when you are able to correct or touch the heart of a child, you have touched the heart of a fam-ily. Clayton is a clear example that we all should follow.”

“Clayton is a proven, passionate and dedicated leader who cares deeply about Aurora,” said Mayor Tom Weisner. “His work in this commu-nity has improved the lives of count-less young people and made a signifi -cant impact on the entire City.”

Previous Outstanding African-American Award recipients include Judge Keith F. Brown, Alderman Scheketa Hart-Burns, Fred Rodg-ers, Cynthia Latimer, Donnell Col-lins, Archie Needham, Lillian Perry and Henry Cowherd.

The breakfast also will honor four community leaders with Nia Awards. (Nia is “purpose” in Swahili), and will feature a performance by a local jazz band and scholarship presenta-tions to local African-American high school seniors.

Tickets are $20 per person, with a portion going to the Henry Cowherd Scholarship Fund. Tickets can be purchased by calling Ken Maurice at (630) 256-3402. Checks can be made payable to the City of Aurora - AAHAB and mailed to the City of Aurora’s Community Service Offi ce,

5 E. Downer Pl., Suite A, Aurora, IL 60505.

The African American Heritage Advisory Board for the City of Au-rora was started in 2003 and is a non-partisan advisory board that is community based and funded by the City of Aurora. Its purpose is to provide education to the community and act as a bridge between the Af-rican American community and all other communities within the City of Aurora.

Volunteers needed as adult literacy tutors The Aurora Weekly Times and MJF Communications strongly encourages volunteerism and adult literacy programs.

Waubonsee Community College’s Adult Literacy Project is seeking volunteers to tutor adult students in reading, writing and speaking Eng-lish, as well as math and other basic skills. All training and materials are free.

Located at the college’s Aurora Campus at 18 S. River Street, the Adult Literacy Project will off er a tutor training program that meets Saturday, March 9 and Saturday,

March 16 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Prospective tutors must complete both sessions before working with adults one-on-one or in a classroom environment.

Tutor applications are available on-line at www.waubonsee.edu/adultlit-eracy or by calling (630) 801.7900, ext. 4221.

City names new director of communica-tions Courtesy of the City of Aurora

Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner an-nounced the hiring of Clayton Mu-hammad as the City of Aurora’s new Director of Communications. Muhammad, who currently serves as the Director of Community Re-lations and the District Spokes-man of East Aurora School Dis-trict 131, will transition into the new position later this month. A lifelong resident of Aurora, Mu-hammad is a community advocate and seasoned public relations pro-fessional whose communications techniques and community relations initiatives have been recognized by the Illinois National School Public Relations Association (INSPRA) with multiple awards of excellence. “Clayton is a proven leader who cares deeply about Aurora,” said Mayor Tom Weisner. “With crime down to record low levels, Aurora’s story is radically diff erent today than it was a few years ago. People are be-ginning to take a fresh look at our City, and I believe Clayton brings

Outstanding African American Clayton Muhammad


the right combination of experience and enthusiasm to help us position Aurora as a great City in which to live, do business and raise a family.” The City restructured its Public In-formation Division as part of the 2013 budget process late last year after the Mayor’s Business Roundta-ble recommended the development of strategic marketing communica-tions plan as one of the top business priorities for 2013.

As Director of Communications, Muhammad will oversee day-to-day communications including me-dia relations, public affairs, Aurora Community Television, digital and social media. He will also spear-head the development of a city-wide marketing communications plan to support economic develop-ment, plus handle the coordina-tion, management and implemen-tation of various communication strategies across City departments. During Muhammad’s tenure at East Aurora School District 131, he instituted a communications plan that resulted in a dramatic in-crease of print and television media coverage, substantial growth in the school district’s business partner-ship program, a revised website, a social media campaign that reaches thousands per day, a regular col-umn in the Aurora Beacon News, and stronger internal and external communications of the district’s pri-orities, programs and positive news. With a passion for bringing Aurorans together, Muhammad collaborated with West Aurora School District 129 to establish the Aurora 360 Stu-dent Exchange Day, with Communi-ties in Schools to plan programming for the MyTime Citywide After-School Program, and with the Illi-nois Math and Science Academy to motivate youth in the Aurora Lead-ership Institute, among many others. “I am very excited and honored to serve Aurora in this capacity,” Mu-hammad said. “There is a bevy of great things happening and even more on the horizon. We want to make sure that as many people as possible know about it, from resi-dents in Aurora to people all over America.

“Aurora is on the cutting edge in so many areas. The more I travel, the more I see just how unique and powerful our community is. Oth-ers are inspired by what is hap-pening here. It’s exciting to be a part of an administration that is having a local, regional and

national impact,” Muhammad said. After graduating from East Aurora High School, Muhammad matricu-lated to the University of Illinois and then Lewis University as he pursued a career in education. He began his career in education at Waldo Mid-dle School as a sixth-grade teacher where he taught for three years. He then transitioned into administra-

tion as Vice President of the Quad County Urban League where he su-pervised the Aurora Middle School Academy and all Urban League pro-grams for four years. In 2004, he was appointed as District Spokesman of East Aurora School District 131. “We are very proud of Clayton and the work that he has done for East

Aurora Schools for nearly a decade. His work ethic and commitment speak for themselves. While his move is a loss for our district, I am person-ally happy to know that Aurora will gain an advocate for the entire City. We support him in his new endeav-ors and look forward to collaborat-ing in the very new future,” said Dr. Jerome Roberts, Superintendent of East Aurora School District 131.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Note: The staff at the Aurora Weekly Times is pleased to welcome Clayton to his new role and we look forward to working with him and the City.

Teen artwork to be showcased at City HallCourtesy of the City of Aurora

The Aurora Public Art Commission will unveil its new “Art at City Hall” exhibit featuring the artistic talents from students at five Aurora high schools. The free display is posted on all five floors of City Hall, 44 E. Downer Place, and will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, Feb. 15 to Oct. 11. The walls of City Hall will be adorned with more than 100 paintings, drawings, photographs, prints and digital works from students at Aurora Christian, East Aurora, Marmion Academy, Rosary and West Aurora high schools. The “Art at City Hall’ series was established in 2005 by Mayor Tom Weisner to create a more dynamic environment in Aurora’s City Hall. The Aurora Public Art Commis-sion, a civic organization dedicated to the preservation of public art in all of its forms, is seeking two-dimensional works in all mediums for this ongoing series. Artists who are interested in participating may send a CD of 10 to 15 works, a resume and self-addressed stamped envelope to the Aurora Public Art Commission, Art In City Hall, 44. E. Downer Place, Aurora, IL 60507. For more information on the Com-mission or the gallery, visit the City’s website at www.aurora-il.org or call the Customer Service Center at 630-256-INFO.

Waubonsee named national finalistCourtesy of Waubonsee Community College

Waubonsee Community College is among a select group of finalists in a prestigious new program designed to recognize innovation and prom-ising practices among two-year col-leges nationwide. The American As-sociation of Community Colleges (AACC) established the Awards of Excellence this year and will award them annually.

Winners in each of five catego-ries will be named April 23 in San



Francisco during the AACC annual convention, an event that attracts close to 2,000 educators, policymak-ers, corporate and foundation rep-resentatives each year. Waubonsee’s President Dr. Christine J. Sobek was recognized in the Emerging Leader-ship category, which honors AACC member CEOs who have developed exemplary systems of leadership and professional development and created a campus culture that pro-actively supports employee career and leadership advancement for all campus personnel. Other categories include Student Success, Exemplary CEO/Board, Advancing Diversity and Outstanding College/Corporate Partnership.

Under the leadership of Dr. Sobek, Waubonsee has developed a cul-ture of engagement that proactive-ly supports administrator, faculty and staff professional development. She promotes leadership through the development and expansion of the Center for Teaching, Learning

and Technology, administrative in-services, growth of cross-functional teams, expansion of the President’s Cabinet membership and ongoing resources for active participation by administrators, faculty, and staff in local, state, regional, and national associations and conferences. Dr. Sobek regularly mentors new Illi-nois community college presidents and makes leadership presentations throughout the district. Waubonsee also launched an innovative Leader-ship Academy for employees in 2011 that fosters leadership development throughout the college community.

Criteria for the Awards of Excellence are designed to refl ect best practices in areas that relate to recommenda-tions of the 21st-Century Commis-sion on the Future of Community Colleges, a national, blue-ribbon group of education experts that is-sued its report last spring. In the report, members of the commission described a redesigned community college of tomorrow, one that would

“reinvent the student experience” and help “reclaim the American dream.”

“Over an 18-month period, the 21st-Century Commission provided a bold and forward-thinking blueprint for the community college of the fu-ture,” said Marie Gnage, chair of the AACC Board of Directors. “With these new awards, AACC intends to elevate community colleges that are in the vanguard of progressive practices. The awardees will receive national visibility, but the spotlight on their exemplary practices will ultimately benefi t all community colleges.”

Finalists for the AACC Awards of Excellence were chosen by a spe-cially appointed committee of the as-sociation’s board of directors, based on specifi c criteria. The American Association of Community Colleges is a national organization represent-ing the nation’s more than 1,100 community, junior and technical

colleges and their 13.5 million stu-dents. Community colleges are the largest sector of higher education, enrolling almost half of all U.S. undergraduates.

WV High School Constellation Hop Courtesy of School District 204

Join the Waubonsie Valley High School planetarium staff at 7 pm on March 1 for an exploration of how to "Constellation Hop" through the night sky to fi nd planets, stars, and other celestial objects of interest in March. Admission is $2 and seating is fi rst-come, fi rst-served.


Mobile Vet Center to Visit WCC Courtesy of Waubonsee Community College

On Tuesday, Feb. 26, local veter-ans and their families are invited to Waubonsee Community College’s Sugar Grove Campus, Route 47 at Waubonsee Drive, to get informa-tion, resources and counseling.

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the U.S. Department of Veterans Aff airs’ (VA) Mobile Vet Center will visit the Student Center to provide a variety of free, private, one-on-one coun-seling sessions, including readjust-ment counseling, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder counseling, bereave-ment counseling, and marriage and family counseling. There will also be information on suicide prevention services and VA benefi ts.

A representative from the Illinois State Approving Agency will present a seminar on educational benefi ts for veterans at noon in room 106 of the Student Center.

For more information, contact Transfer/Veterans Advisor Heather Watson at (630) 466-7900, ext. 2361.

For the past two years, Waubonsee has been named a Military Friendly School by “G.I. Jobs,” the premier magazine for military personnel transitioning into civilian life.

FAFSA Friday Financial Aid details courtesy of Aurora University

Stop by the Financial Aid tables in Alumni Hall, Room 136 to get answers to your questions and as-sistance in fi ling the FAFSA.

Be sure to bring:- US Department of Education Per-sonal Identifi cation Numbers (PIN)- Your 2012 federal tax return (all schedules) and W-2s. If you are a dependent student, please bring your parents' 2012 federal tax re-turn (all schedules) and W-2's.- If you have not fi led your 2012 federal tax return yet, bring your 2011 return.<continued on page 15>


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Virtual job fair: see page 15. www.kendallweeklytimes.net/job-tracker.php


Congratulations to Richard for his adminission into Loyola's Graduate Program.


The Times is pleased to welcome Ellen as a contributor. Enjoy!


For your social networking needs, follow Brian at: www.b2b-im.com.




<continued from page 6>FAFSA on the Web Worksheets

Reservations are encouraged due to limited space, but walk-ins are gladly welcomed.

Register online or contact the Offi ce of Financial Aid at 630-844-6190 or fi [email protected].

Location: Alumni Hall, Room 136Sponsor: Offi ce of Financial AidContact: Offi ce of Financial AidEmail: fi [email protected]

4th Annual Intelligence Community Virtual Career Fair Tuesday, February 26, from 1-7 p.m. Central Time

The event is FREE, but you must pre-register at http://www.intel-ligence.gov/careers-in-intelligence/

virtual-career-fair * U.S. Citizenship Required

The 2013 fair will highlight hun-dreds of internship & career op-portunities available nationwide in a wide array of disciplines including the following:

Accounting, Budgeting, Auditing, Contracting, Financial Manage-mentAdministration – Human Resourc-es, Logistics, Public Aff airs, Clinical Psychology, etc.Clandestine ServicesComputer Science, Computer

EngineeringCybersecurity, Information Assur-anceData ScientistsEngineering – Electrical and Elec-tronicsForeign Language* – Language Analysts and Offi cers, Instructors, Contract LinguistsInformation TechnologyIntelligence Analysis – Economic, Cultural, Imagery, Military, Open Source, Regional and TechnicalMathematics and Physical ScienceMission support Program/Project ManagementSecurity, PoliceSpecial Agents

Special emphasis will be placed on recruiting diverse candidates profi -cient in mission-critical foreign lan-guages with cultural expertise from our Nation's many heritage commu-nities. Priority languages include:

All African languages * Arabic (all dialects) * Cambodian * Dari * Far-si * Hebrew * Hindi * Indonesian * Japanese * Korean * Mandarin and other Chinese languages * Pashto * Punjabi * Russian * Tajik * Turkish * Urdu * Vietnamese

Participating intelligence compo-nents include:

Central Intelligence Agency * De-fense Intelligence Agency * Federal Bureau of Investigation * Federal Bureau of Investigation Language Services Section * National Geo-spatial-Intelligence Agency * Na-tional Security Agency * National Virtual Translation Center

Attendees will be able to live-chat with recruiters, learn about career opportunities and how to apply to open positions, watch video presen-tations, participate in live question and answer sessions, upload/manage documents in their virtual briefcas-es, and create avatars of themselves, all in a 3-D environment.


West inducts Hall of Fame members Courtesy of School District 129

On February 8, West Aurora High School inducted four new members into the West Aurora Sports Hall of Fame.

The 2013 inductees are Brian Brooks (class of '73), Randy Norman ('84), Greg Miller ('97), and Jim Pittman (Coach).

Local high school basketball scores More results available at: www.kendallweeklytimes.net/aurora-yearbook-public.php

>> (February 9) The Waubonsie Val-ley Warriors basketball team scored 76 points and restricted the host Metea Valley Mustangs to 62 in the Warriors league victory on Saturday.The Warriors now sport a 18-8 re-cord. They put it on the line next when they host Hersey/Buff alo Grove/Prospect/Elk Grove/Rolling Meadows/Libertyville/Lake Park for a non-league contest on Friday, Feb-ruary 15.

The Mustangs (14-8) will now pre-pare for their contest against Oswego East. The Wolves come into the non-league contest with a 12-12 record. In their last contest, Oswego East prevailed over Plainfi eld Central, 71-65, in a league contest.

>> (February 12) Fans at Tuesday's non-league challenge between the Metea Valley Mustangs and the vis-iting Oswego Panthers, saw Metea Valley's basketball squad overcome Oswego by a tally of 51-43.

With the victory, Metea Valley im-proves its record to 22-6 on the cam-paign. The Mustangs host Neuqua Valley (Naperville) to confront the Wildcats in a non-league challenge on Friday, February 15. The Wild-cats come into the challenge with a record of 25-2. Neuqua Valley won 72-16 in their recent non-league challenge against Lockport.

>> (February 9) The East Aurora Tomcats basketball team, was over-whelmed 68-36 in Saturday's league battle with the host Bartlett Hawks (Bartlett).

The Hawks now possess a 17-8 re-cord. They put it on the line next when they host Metea Valley for a Upstate Eight battle on Friday, Feb-ruary 15.

The Tomcats (3-19) will now pre-pare for their battle against South Elgin. The Storm come into the Up-state Eight battle with a 4-16 record.

>> (February 13) In Wednesday's non-league match, the host Plain-fi eld East Bengals basketball team scored a decisive 68-34 triumph over the Aurora West Blackhawks.

The Bengals now possess a 21-4 record.

Blackhawks start the season on fi re By Ron Bartlett

I’ve been down with the fl u for two weeks, but I’m back and so are the Hawks. I’ve been Hawks’ fan for

almost 50 years now, and I can’t re-member a season where the Hawks started out so dominating and not just against weak opponents either—they started out against the Stan-ley Cup champs, dominating them. They beat the Coyotes twice now, and have a nice little fi ght with Raffi Torres to send a message for the ter-rible hit he put on Marian Hossa during the playoff s last year.

The Hawks of started the season on fi re with the entire team hitting on all cylinders from scoring to defense to great goaltending, they’re getting it all. After 11 games the Hawks have yet to lose in regulation. Getting 20 points out of a possible 22 puts

the Hawks at the top of the West-ern Conference. If this play contin-ues, this could turn out to be a very special season, so keep your eyes on the Blackhawks as they look poised to make another run at the Stanley Cup.

Here come the Hawks!





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Aurora Weekly Times Vol.1, Is.3