Naperville News Digest: Naperville Park District sets special hours for Memorial Day weekend; qualifying owners can receive free pet distemper shots, microchips; GRIT Freedom Chair available for disabled residents at Will forest preserve

Naperville Park District sets special hours for Memorial Day weekend

Some Naperville Park District facilities will have special hours over the Memorial Day weekend, which also marks the summer opening for Centennial Beach.

  • Fort Hill Activity Center, 20 Fort Hill Drive, will be open regular hours Saturday and Sunday, May 25 and 26, but will have shortened hours — from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. — on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27.
  • Sportsman’s Park Trapshooting Range, 735 S. West St., will be open Saturday for scheduled programs, Sunday for regular hours and closed on Memorial Day.
  • Alfred Rubin Riverwalk Community Center, 305 W. Jackson Ave., will hold regularly scheduled programs Saturday and Sunday but will be closed Monday.
  • Knoch Knolls Nature Center, 320 Knoch Knolls Road, is open Saturday but closed Sunday and Monday.
  • Springbrook Golf Course, 2220 83rd St., and Naperbrook Golf Course, 22204 W. 111th St., will offer regular hours throughout the holiday weekend.
  • Centennial Beach, 500 W. Jackson Ave., will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday; and 9 a.m. to 10:55 a.m. Monday for members-only adult float and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday for the general public.
  • Paddleboat Quarry, 441 Aurora Ave., will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. throughout the holiday weekend.

Qualifying owners can receive free pet distemper shots, microchips

Spay Illinois Pet Well Clinics are offering free distemper vaccines and microchips to qualifying pet owners through June 30 at its Lisle Wellness Clinic, 2765 Maple Ave., Lisle.

Those who qualify are seniors age 62 and older, veterans and anyone receiving unemployment, social security or LINK/EBT benefits, a news release from Spay Illinois said.

Appointment are required for dogs or cats to be vaccinated against distemper, a potentially fatal pet illness. In addition to the vaccination, the pets will receive a free microchip which can help reunite them with their owners if they get lost, the release said.

Appointments can be made by calling 630-961-8000.

Spay Illinois also offers other vaccines, heartworm, flea and tick prevention, spaying and neutering, and other services. The clinics are open to everyone regardless of income or residency.

For more information, go to www.spayillinois.org.

Kim Kosmatka, of Mokena, uses the new GRIT Freedom Chair at the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon. The wheelchair allows residents with disabilities to explore the natural trail surfaces surrounding McKinley Woods-Kerry Sheridan Grove in Channahon. (Cindy Cain/Forest Preserve District of Will County)

GRIT Freedom Chair available for disabled residents at Will forest preserve

The Forest Preserve District of Will County has a new GRIT Freedom Chair that can be used by residents with disabilities who want to explore the natural trail surfaces surrounding McKinley Woods-Kerry Sheridan Grove in Channahon.

Free to use by members of the public, the chair is described as a versatile, all-terrain wheelchair that is a mix between a manual chair and a mountain bike, the GRIT website said. Riders can use the chair to live more active lives, hike on trails or navigate sandy beaches.

According to a forest preserve district news release, chair users can push forward on the handlebar levers for propulsion and strap down their feet on a footrest. An anti-tip bar is mounted on the back of the chair, which also has a seatbelt.

The new wheelchair can be used by individuals of all ages with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, joint conditions, amputations, cerebral palsy and other conditions.

It can be checked out at the front desk of the Four Rivers Education Center during operating hours on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are not accepted, but users can call ahead at 815-722-9470 to check availability, officials said.

Forest preserve staff can help hold the chair in place but cannot lift or move individuals into it. The weight limit to use the chair is 300 pounds.

For more information, go to www.reconnectwithnature.org.

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