Vote for pet-educated candidates
Naperville has enjoyed a reputation for being a great place to live and a dog-friendly town. But certain candidates for the City Council have refused to endorse a humane ordinance that would go a long way toward protecting both residents and companion animals from being misused by those who support or profit from U.S. Department of Agriculture-licensed facilities mass-producing carelessly bred puppies.
The parents of these puppies are kept as livestock in conditions that do not meet their needs. These puppies cost pet stores a few hundred dollars but are sold for thousands in stores or over the internet. Better-quality pets can be found at private, responsible breeders who can be located through a kennel club for specific breeds. Adoption should also be considered.
What’s important for a candidate is being not only a successful business person but also an ethical business person. The issue of mass-produced and overpriced puppies does affect not only the companion animals but also the consumers who buy them and can find themselves with sick or dying pets and are left in emotional or financial distress.
Please vote for candidates who have educated themselves on this important issue and will work to restore Naperville’s reputation as a people- and pet-friendly town. They are John Krummen, Benny White, Kevin Gallaher, Mike Strick and Julie Berkowicz.
Dee Santucci, Naperville
Support lacrosse in D204
I’m a longtime resident, taxpayer, parent of two Waubonsie Valley students and head coach of Waubonsie Valley/Metea Valley high school girls lacrosse.
The Illinois High School Association has sanctioned lacrosse as a sport, but each district must approve having a sanctioned team. We’ve been working hard to partner with Indian Prairie School District 204 in this pursuit.
Neighboring school districts, including Naperville District 203, are embracing lacrosse and working as a community to provide young athletes the opportunity to represent their high schools in this amazing sport.
We are excited to have lacrosse officially sanctioned in D204, but a small percentage of dissenters are making it very difficult to achieve this goal. While we have had support from many residents, some of whom are elected or administrative district officials, this small group could undermine the will of the majority. We cannot ascertain the objection of these dissenters as they decline to speak openly about it.
We cannot let lacrosse be struck down “temporarily” as the damage will be irreparable.
It is critical for people to speak out against powerful minorities to assure they understand the will of the people. Please vocalize support for this initiative in our district.
District 204’s failure to sanction lacrosse will relegate it to a club-level sport, restrict us from competing against sanctioned schools and make us ineligible for conference or state titles. The impact to our athletes and their college lacrosse prospects would be devastating.
Sean Storin, Aurora
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