Law keeps sex offenders away from day cares

Day cares with less than nine children are included in a bill unanimously passed by the House that repairs a state law keeping child sex offenders at least 500 feet from in-home day cares.

A 2006 law sponsored by Rep. Jim Meyer, R-Naperville, defined in-home day cares as those licensed for more than nine children. Under that definition, none of the state's more than 10,000 in-home day cares was covered, according to a report published in the Belleville News-Democrat. The new provision expands the definition to include day care centers with less than nine children.

Approved on Tuesday, House Bill 4402 has been sent to the Senate.

-- Paige Winfield

At his first park board meeting last week, Executive Director Daniel Betts offered a summary of his first few weeks on the job.

"Basically what I've been doing is meeting a lot of folks. Way more folks than I remember names right now," Betts said.

He said he was happy to be in Naperville, and looked forward to working with the board, staff and residents to "continue the great work Naperville expects out of its parks." Plans for the near future include meeting individually with commissioners and developing a retreat for the board.

"We've been busy. Really just kind of hitting the ground running," Betts said.

-- Kathy Cichon

Delivery of the Naperville Park District's Summer 2008 program guides to residents is slated to begin Saturday. If you don't get one, call 630-848-5000 to request a copy.

Summer Program Guides also will be available for pick-up at Park District facilities, Naperville library branches and the following National City locations from Tuesday to May 16: 1001 S. Washington St., 630-637-4122; 1308 S. Naper Blvd., 630-637-4152; 3135 Book Road, 630-637-4128; and 9 E. Ogden Ave., 630-637-3792.

-- K.C.

City employees rolled out a new off-site parking program in great numbers this week, with 87 employees taking part the first day. On Tuesday, the number reached 100.

Under the program, city of Naperville employees have the option of donating their parking spaces to downtown employees or visitors. The employees choose to park their vehicles at one of the off-site parking locations, walk, bike, or use public transit to get to the Municipal Center.

The goal of the program is to provide more parking space for downtown Naperville employees at the Municipal Center deck while helping to alleviate congestion in the parking lots and decks during the summer until construction of the Van Buren Parking Deck addition is completed and the Riverwalk Parking Lot reopens.

The employee off-site parking program will run through September.

-- K.C.

Government Watch is a weekly column of news and commentary by Sun staff. To submit an item for consideration, e-mail thesun@scn1.com