Like to walk? He might want his shoes filled
The first few years he did his hike around Aurora on Week Without Violence, pastor Dan Haas walked with others. The last few, he walked alone. But he never felt lonely.
"For me, it has been an opportunity to sit back and pray on a lot of things," he said. "I've really enjoyed that. It has been a good opportunity for reflection."
(Heather Eidson/Staff Photographer)
Last week, he was moving along at a pretty good pace. But he admitted that he's slowed down a little bit. He used to finish the 41-mile hike in three days. Now it takes four.
Haas's church recently closed after his announcement that he will begin working as a missionary overseas. It's likely he won't be able to do next year's walk. Someone else will have to watch the city change.
So, on Oct. 20, he prayed for a new leader. One who likes to walk.
"Pray for some guy in his 30s to take this over," he said, smiling.
Smooth return from unexpected trip
Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner recently took a little unintended "trip" into the future.
He had been invited to speak at a major Chicago area regional planning organization's workshop on the future of the area's water supply. He was to detail the innovative green programs designed to recharge aquifers and reduce runoff into the river begun on his watch as mayor.
But as he approached the podium, he tripped slightly on a somewhat hidden stair. Recovering quickly, he elicited laughter from the audience when he quipped, "I consider standing upright and talking multi-tasking."
Making matters worse
If you're going to do something involving police, here's two things you should avoid: Kicking an officer and writing a fake name on a minor traffic ticket.
This week in Aurora, authorities made felony arrests on folks who did just those things.
The Kane County state's attorney didn't say why Aurora police were arresting 32-year-old Ontrayl Stewart, but they did say he kicked two officers in the process. Then there was 19-year-old Yesenia Cortes who wrote another woman's name on the traffic ticket she received from Aurora police. Prosecutors charged her with felony forgery.
Aurora to Uganda
A video of West Aurora High School student Jose Ramos' recent trip to Uganda through the Invisible Children group can be found on YouTube.
Ramos found the second of three "Golden Tickets" and won a trip to Uganda to help rebuild homes through the group, whose goal is to educate Americans about African violence.
The video can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCNbtNnK8Nc or by going to YouTube and searching the term "Invisible Children Golden Ticket Winner WAHS."
"The Pulse" is a compilation of quirky, random or just plain weird happenings in the Fox Valley. If you have a news item you'd like to see appear in "The Pulse," contact Readers' Editor Cindy Goldberg at cgoldberg@scn1.com or 630-416-5276.
