DuPage forest preserve district hosts ‘Night for Nature’ benefit
“A Night For Nature,” a fundraiser to benefit the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, will be held from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, at St. James Farm, 2S541 Winfield Road, Warrenville.
The district and its nonprofit fundraising organization, Friends of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, are hoping to raise $50,000 for habitat restoration and native wildlife throughout the district, a news release said.
Food, drinks, live music, a silent auction and wagon-drawn tours through the newly restored McCormick Woods and Spring Brook preserves will be part of the event.
In addition to donated products and services being auctioned, there also will be unique experiences up for bid, including a woodland bird walk with a birding expert, a ride-along with a district ranger, a tour of the Urban Stream Research Center at Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville and a rehabilitated native wild animal release with a wildlife interpreter.
Tickets are $100 per person at www.dupageforest.org/friends. The event is for adults 21 and older.
9/11 remembrance ceremony to be held at Shanower Memorial
A remembrance event marking the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11, at the Cmdr. Dan Shanower Memorial behind the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle St.
The city is partnering with Naperville Responds for Veterans for the event at which Mayor Scott A. Wehrli, Police Chief Jason Arres and Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis will deliver brief remarks. The Naperville Municipal Band will perform at 5:45 p.m.
Elizabeth McConkie, a high school senior representing the Sycamore Post 5768 Veterans of Foreign Wars and Auxiliary and the VFW 19th District Illinois, also will speak. Her essay recently placed third in the VFW’s Voice of Democracy contest and was the District 19 champion.
In the event of rain, the event will be held inside the Naperville City Council chambers. For more information, go to www.naperville.il.us.
New trustee chosen to fill College of DuPage Board vacancy
Sahin S. “Sonny” Jutla was chosen to fill a vacancy on the College of DuPage Board, replacing Heidi Holan, who resigned last month when she moved out of the district.
Jutla was unanimously selected at a special board meeting Aug. 29. He will serve until April 2025.
A Roselle resident, Jutla is an assistant state’s attorney for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. He graduated from John Marshall Law School and is a trial team coach at the University of Illinois Chicago Law School and an appointed member of COD’s audit committee.
The board interviewed more than 25 candidates before selecting Jutla for the opening.
Park district invites residents to join in Commissioners Challenge
Residents can participate in the Naperville Park District’s Commissioners Challenge, which lets participants get to know park board members while experiencing various activities across the city.
Among some of the challenge events that park board members will be attending this fall are the Halloween Happening, Pumpkin Smash, district’s golf courses and nature hikes at Knoch Knolls Park, a news release said.
Residents can share their experiences doing the same activities by adding them to their social media sites with the tags #naperparks or #napervillecommissionerschallenge.
For more information, go to www.napervilleparks.org/commissionerschallenge.
Will County to host “Lunch and Learn” emergency webinars
The Will County Emergency Management Agency will host a series of free, 30-minute “Lunch and Learn” webinars as part of National Preparedness Month.
Each will take place from noon to 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays in September and will provide practical information for responding to unexpected situations, a news release said.
On Sept. 11, pet owners can learn how to prepare their animals for an emergency, including natural disasters.
Nuclear safety is the featured topic Sept. 18. With two nuclear power plants in Will County or on its border, residents can learn about how the plants operate and how to receive emergency alerts, officials said.
The program wraps up Sept. 25 with a session focusing on financial preparedness should you experience an unexpected expense or a catastrophic weather event.
Register at www.willcountyema.org/learn.
