by Angelo Imbrogno, President, The Blue Diamond Group

With all the financial turmoil taking place in Europe it’s important to understand just who’s responsible for trying to restore order and prevent a global economic crisis.  That burden falls mainly in the hands of three agencies: the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Central Bank (ECB) and the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF).

•    The IMF is made up of 187 member nations whose goals include overseeing the economies of the member nations and providing economic and financial advice (mainly to low- and middle-income countries).  In addition, when deemed necessary, the IMF will provide loans to struggling countries to try to prevent an all-out collapse and regenerate economic growth.

•    The ECB is very similar to the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States both in its goals and the tools it uses to achieve those goals.  The ECB’s mandates include maintaining price stability, a high level of employment and sustainable, non-inflationary growth.  The ECB uses monetary policy tools to adjust the amount of currency in circulation and target interest rates they suspect will promote the best economic climate.

•    The EFSF was created in May of 2010 to monitor the financial well-being of the European Union.  It provides loans to member nations, intervenes in the bond markets when an exceptional risk of default presents itself and issues EFSF bonds and other instruments on the financial markets.  It’s backed by commitments from EU member states totaling $1.05 trillion with lending capabilities of up to $593 billion.

So now that we know what these institutions are we must address what they can do, and to be frank it’s not much.  The ECB can inject Euros into the system to try to reduce interest rates, but this causes inflation and, as we are witnessing stateside, reducing interest rates even to near-zero levels does not guarantee growth.
 
The EFSF can lend to struggling nations, but Italy’s debt alone is more than $2 trillion.  Even if the EFSF extended their lending capabilities to that $1.05 trillion level that would just scratch the surface of the problems.

If the EU’s safeguards from their own agencies aren’t enough there is the potential for the IMF to get involved.  Unfortunately, the IMF is not the proverbial goose that lays an infinite amount of golden eggs.  There is a limit to how much the IMF can intervene (especially considering the debt levels of the IMF’s member nations), and with the total debt of the European Union above $9 trillion the outlook is grim.

Mary Kay Slowikowski

Mary Kay Brennan was born and raised on the south side of Chicago near Stoney Island to Irish Immigrant parents. She received her teachers certificate and had her first teaching position at St. Felicitas School where she attended with her sister and two brothers. She met Norb Slowikowski, when he was a student at Loyola and she was attending Mundelein College.

Mary Kay went on to have four children, Anne Dellamaria, Eileen Chavez, Eddie Slowikowski and Tim Slowikowski. She is the grandmother of seven children ranging in ages from 7 to 16.

After Mary Kay taught 5th grade, she went to work for McDonalds Corporation. Her husband was an executive at the company and McDonald’s hired her as the first wife to help set up the Relocation Department for the company. McDonald’s offered her the position of setting up this relocation offering in every district across the country. Mary Kay took a look at how this new position would fit in with raising her children, and that is when she decided to leave the corporate world and form her own Training and Public Speaking Company in the late 70′s.

She named herself the CEO and started at her kitchen table in Darien. Soon her husband, Norb left McDonald’s and joined her. They built the business by offering Leadership, Teambuilding, Key Note Presentations, and Sales programs to their clients nationwide. Eventually their children, Anne, Ed and Tim, joined them in the business. The business is still in Darien and thrives as a family owned firm.

Mary Kay has been the President of many Boards and has started two Women’s Associations that have each had over 20 chapters nationwide. She is the author of the Future Woman Program with over 50,000 graduates and is the first female motivational speaker to be Emmy nominated for her PBS series that played nationwide. She is currently a moderator on the Executive Breakfast Club Panel and has received many awards as “The Influential Woman of the Year” and the DuPage Pads Award of Excellence.

Mary Kay formed her own business, because she wanted to have a sense of “balance”. She has that balance today in her spiritual, social, business, physical lives, etc. and now as the new Chairperson of the Darien Chamber Board.

Mary Kay founded the Social Justice Group at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, where she opened the Food Pantry that still exists today. She is a member of Old St. Pat’s where she heads up the Encore Group and has brought a Speakers Series to Darien.

She is a master storyteller and veteran of business who uses personal stories and proven techniques to teach and inspire.

A former victim of crippling panic attacks and agoraphobia, Mary Kay was once unable to leave her home – now she speaks in front of thousands. Mary Kay’s ability to touch and teach audiences in a unique way is remarkable. Mary Kay doesn’t come out of a book, she comes out of life.

Chamber CEO Clare Bongiovanni shared, “I’m very excited to be working with Mary Kay Slowikowski for the next two years, I look at Mary Kay as my mentor who will help enrich my position with the Darien Chamber of Commerce.” Her mission for Darien is to bring a new economic growth, by building coalitions with the leaders in Darien. She wants to attract new business to Darien. She feels that taking the position of Chairperson for the Darien Chamber has brought her full circle. She is excited to give back to her community!

Sheriff Zaruba encourages every senior citizen in DuPage County to register with the Guardian System, a free service designed to ensure the well being of seniors as well as the physically and mentally disabled in the county.
 
How does it work?
Guardian is a computerized phone system that calls registered members on prearranged days and times to verify that they are okay. If the member does not respond to the telephone call by entering a four digit code on their telephone an alarm sounds and a police dispatcher will attempt to reach the member via telephone.
If still unsuccessful, a previously designated neighbor or family member will be contacted. If the emergency contact cannot be reached, a deputy will be sent to the member’s home to make sure everything is okay.
 
Who is eligible to participate?
Guardian is available to DuPage County residents who are over the age of 62 or physically or mentally disabled and live alone.
 
How do I sign up?
To register for the Guardian program you may call the Sheriff’s Office at 630-407-2400 to have an application mailed to you. Applications may also be picked up at the Sheriff’s Office, 501 North County Farm Rd., Wheaton, or at any Township Office.

On Jan. 1, 2012, a new Illinois law goes into effect that will require backseat passengers to buckle up. Previously, Illinois law required only drivers, front seat passengers and certain passengers younger than 19 years old to wear seat belts. The new law states that every driver and passenger of a motor vehicle operated on a street or highway must wear a properly adjusted safety belt, with few exceptions.
 
The law, HB 219, exempts passengers of emergency vehicles and taxi cabs. The law does not apply to motorcycles, motor vehicles that are not required to be equipped with safety belts by federal law, or motor vehicles with a model year prior to 1965. The full text of the law is available on the Illinois General Assembly’s website at http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=062500050K12-603.1

Starting Jan. 1, 2012, Illinois law will make it illegal for you to throw your electronics in the garbage. This law seeks to prevent dangerous substances contained in electronics from infiltrating our water supply and soil when they end up in landfills.  For places you may recycle electronics in DuPage County please visit: http://www.dupageco.org/EDP/Waste_Recycling_and_Energy/1549/

Senior residents age 65 or older may be eligible for the following tax reduction programs:

Senior homestead exemption: for Residents who own and occupy their residence and are liable for the payment of real estate taxes.

Assessment freeze homestead exemption: for Residents who own and occupy their residence, are liable for the payment of real estate taxes and whose household income is under $55,000.00

Real estate tax deferral: for Residents who own and occupy their residence, have lived in Illinois for 3 years and whose household income is under $40,000.00

For more information on any of these programs please contact the Downers Grove Township at 630-968-2100

Tune in to see the announcement of our 2012 Citizen of the year at the City Council meeting on Monday, January 16 at 7:30pm.

On Monday, March 5 everyone is invited to the Citizen of the Year cake and coffee reception at City Hall. Come and meet the 2012 Citizen of the Year and celebrate with us to honor all they have done to make Darien the nice place it is to live and raise a family.

Then, please join us on Saturday, March 24 at Alpine Banquets for a dinner/ dance honoring our Citizen of the Year. Tickets cost will be $30.00 per person. Reservations for the dinner/dance will be available after February 1st at City Hall.

For questions or reservations please call Mary at Darien City Hall – 630-353-8102

The City of Darien sponsors a subsidized taxi service program that assists eligible residents age 65 or older and residents with disabilities with their transportation needs by providing coupons that reduce the cost of taxi fare.
 
The program enables these residents to purchase up to seven coupons per month which are worth $5.00 in taxi fare, valid for use with participating taxi companies.  The resident’s cost is $2.50; the city subsidizes the other $2.50. Coupons may not be used for transportation to airports.
 
This program is administered by DuPage County, and you must register ahead of time for an identification card in order to use the coupons. This process takes anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks.
 
For more information on this program, you may call 630-852-5000, or to register come in to Darien City Hall, 1702 Plainfield Road.

Don’t know what to do with the strands of Christmas lights that are tangled, broken or have lost their glow? Don’t throw them in the garbage – recycle them! The City of Darien has partnered with Elgin Recycling to offer our residents free recycling of holiday lights! All light colors and strand lengths will be accepted. Items include mini-lights (Italian lights), C7 lights, C9 lights, rope lights, LED lights, and extension cords. Please – no CFLs. Through February 10, 2012 you may bring your lights to the Darien Police Department lobby at 1710 Plainfield Road Monday thru Friday from 6am to 10pm, and Saturday & Sunday from 7am to 3pm. For more information please call 630-353-8115 or visit
www.elginrecycling.com

Local fire departments see an increase in the number of carbon monoxide incidents and detector activations during high snowfall, due to snow accumulation and buildup.
 
These types of incidents are a common problem when there are high snow drifts that block furnace vents and air intakes in some homes —predominantly homes that have newer, high-efficiency furnaces. These systems typically vent through the sill plate of a home, close to ground level through white PVC piping.  Drifting snow has the potential to block these vents, causing the furnace or water heater to stop operating. Some newer high-efficiency furnaces have automatic shutoffs that shut down a furnace when the vents are blocked, but many furnaces don’t. If they fail to shut down, carbon monoxide may back up in a home.
 
After any snowfall, it is important to inspect the area around the furnace and hot water heater vents to ensure that snow and ice are not blocking the safe operation of these fuel-burning devices. Vents and intake pipes should have a 3-foot clearance from snow, shrubs or other obstructions. Water heaters and dryer vents also should be cleared of snow to prevent possible carbon monoxide poisoning.
 
State law requires that all residential occupancies have carbon monoxide detectors installed by the property owner. More information regarding state statute requirements can be found at www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/94/094-0741.htm.