EcoBLAST event being held Aug. 10 at Naperville Central
EcoBLAST, an environmental fair featuring games, arts and eco-friendly activities, will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, at Naperville Central High School’s Honor Garden, 440 W. Aurora Ave.
Organized by Naperville nonprofit Accelerate Climate Solutions, the event will include sustainability-focused stations, a bake sale, upcycled clothing and an environmentally-themed art showcase. It also will feature a raffle and live music performed by local student music groups.
Displays will provide information on ways community members can reduce their environmental impact. Some activities will help raise money for youth programs.
For more information, go to www.accelerateclimatesolutions.org/ecoblast.
Pro pickleball champs to attend Sure Shot Pickleball event
Professional Pickleball Association champions Connor Garnett and Rachel Rettger will participate in Pickleball with the Pros from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12, at Sure Shot Pickleball, 2244 Corporate Lane, Naperville.
Participants can play with Garnett and Rettger for a $75 admission fee. General admission is $50 per person, which includes open play, pro tips and a Garnett-signed Pickleball paddle.
The event is open to the public and hosted by Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush.
Rettger is a graduate of Glenbard South High School in Glen Ellyn and played four years of collegiate tennis at Elmhurst University. She became a pickleball professional in 2022 and has competed in 15 pro tournaments and 92 pro matches.
Garnett, of Washington, plays for the Bay Area Breakers professional pickleball team and is ranked 5th in the nation for men’s singles by the Professional Pickleball Association.
Register to attend at www.eventbrite.com.
Registration underway for Ray Graham Association Monarch Walk
The Ray Graham Association, a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities in DuPage County, will hold its annual Monarch Walk from 8:30 a.m. to noon Sunday, Sept. 22, at North Central College’s Residence Hall and Recreation Center, 440 S. Brainard St., Naperville.
The event, which raises funds for children and adults with disabilities, will feature the walk, a DJ and dance party, carnival games, raffles and prizes, and vendor and sponsor booths. Community members can walk as individuals or start a team.
Richard Changelon and his family have been named the Honored Hero award winners. They have raised more than $15,000 for the event. Richard lives in a Ray Graham Association home in Bloomingdale, where he receives round-the-clock support, a news release said.
To participate in the Monarch Walk or make a donation, go to www.TheMonarchWalk.org.
Naperville library employee wins Illinois Library Association award
Trente Arens, marketing and communications manager for Naperville Public Library, is the recipient of the Deborah Dowley Preiser Marketing Award from the Illinois Library Association.
The award recognizes a library employee or group whose work reflects the importance of publicity for adult programming and the role of the library as a community center, the library association website said. It is presented and sponsored by the Oak Park Public Library.
Arens was hired by Naperville Public Library in 2021 and has led the library’s rebranding project and logo redesign.
She also advocated for sending a quarterly mailer to Naperville residents, which has increased attendance in adult and senior programming, and helped increase participation in the all-ages Summer Reading Program by 22% from 2022 to 2023, a news release said.
“Trente is a fantastic role model who leads by example through hard work and a collaborative style,” Naperville Public Library Executive Director Dave Della Terza said in a statement. “Under her leadership, we are increasingly getting the word out to the community about the great services the library offers.”
A ceremony honoring this year’s award and scholarship winners will be held in October in conjunction with the Illinois Library Association’s annual conference in Peoria.
College of DuPage to offer Digital Photography Certificate
The College of DuPage is launching a new Digital Photography Certificate due to a growing demand for digital photography content.
The certificate can be completed either remotely or in-person starting this fall.
Students will use a DSLR camera, analyze the history and social impact of photography, identify ethical considerations when working with artificial intelligence technology and receive the skills necessary to produce modern content creation, a college news release said. Basic skills, advanced digital imaging, printing and portfolio preparation are part of the program.
For more information, go to www.cod.edu/photography.
